


The redhead outlander

by Alvia



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Bad Wold is a little better compared to Rose, But Bad Wolf speaks like riddles, F/M, Fox - Freeform, Foxy - Freeform, I do what I want, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Mycroft's Umbrella, Renard - Freeform, and it's annoying., because, ginger hair, i love Rose Tyler but i want her jalous here, it's only in one chapter, jack harkness is jack harkness, maybe smut maybe not, not sure, sorry about that one, the doctor belong to the oc here, time entity like Bad Wolf, tired, too much useless tag, you wont notice anyway and me neither
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2019-11-06 05:08:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 94,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17933453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alvia/pseuds/Alvia
Summary: I was just a red-haired girl, in the immensity of my universe. A simple accident and I find myself alone with a dangerous knowledge in a dangerous and yet so wonderful world.English is not my mother tongue.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! this is my first time in english, so please don't hurt me so much with the reviews please ?
> 
> Like I said, in the resume it's about an oc based on me ( I wasn't going to say it was an self insert, even if i want it. We all know we would like to be in the Whoniverse). Some people like stories like this, some people don't. for my part, I appreciate when the character is well written. Where when the story of the OC is not too far-fetched.
> 
> Enjoy the reading everyone !

You know, I'm not a ‘normal’ girl. I am quite the opposite in fact.

I'm the kind of girl who loves shows and movies. Going on the internet, publishing things on social network, but not in a “I display my life continuously, look at me, I’m boring!” kinda way. I like to listen to music, a little of all styles but with a preference for the soundtracks of series and films as well as rock and metal. And classical, don’t forget classical. My favourite is Chopin.

I like reading, I read a lot in fact. Books, comics, mangas. Fanfictions too. Lot of fanfictions.

My name is Alvia. Well, that’s what I tell people anyway. I keep my real name to myself. I’m not sure what others could do with it. Paranoid? No! I’m just realistic to my situation.

What situation, you ask? The most unfeasible, the most impossible, and the most incredible.

I’m French. I was born on September 9th, 2000 and grew up in France for almost 19 years. ‘Almost’ is the key word. Before I could go home for school after the All Saint’s holidays, I found myself far from a home that I can now never return to. I grew up in a loving family, with everything that any child would want.

I left my Grandmother’s at the end of the February holidays. After several hours of train travel, I arrived at the station where I found myself on the bus returning home.

I never arrived at my destination. There was a weather warning in the southwest for a small storm, but in truth, it was a rather large one.

I was sitting alone at the back of the bus, my bags on the floor and my suitcase on the other side of me. The rain fell quickly and violently, and it was impossible for me to see through the window. Despite my earphones and the music in my ears, I could still hear the thunder rumbling loudly, shaking the windows with its force. The driver had drastically slowed down the bus and the lightning constantly lit the sky, as if someone was playing with a light switch.

I had closed my eyes, tired by the long hours of travelling, and fell asleep little by little to the vibrations of the engine. Within moments I was drifting off to sleep - which was a bit of a mistake.

It's crazy how quickly an accident can happen. In seconds the bus deviated violently from its path. I don’t know what happened next, but what I do know is that if we had had an accident, I should be dead or injured and not carried by a white light to London along with my belongings.

You read correctly, in one blink, me and my things went from a road accident in France to rainy park.

XXXX

I was on the ground, my bags and suitcase next to me. The rain soaked through my clothes quickly and I blinked in disbelief. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. I ended up staying in the rain long enough to alert a woman. She came quickly over to me and spoke in a language that I did not at first understand, but quickly recognized words from the English language.

"Hey? Are you all right?”

“I... I think... Where am I?”

“In London, darling! Do you want me to call for help? Is there anyone specific I can call?”

“I... I...”

The woman helped me up and gathered my belongings. She took my suitcase and one of my bags.

"You look completely lost, come to my place. A good cup of tea and warmth is what you need. Come on, come on!”

The woman led me to her home. An apartment with walls painted yellow. She gently pushed me down onto a cream couch. I put my bag to the side and tried to think despite the shock. How? How? Could I teleport myself? Is it a dream? Am I in a coma? Am I dead? Oh my God! I am dead?!

"Are you alright sweetheart?” The woman unknowingly interrupted my thoughts.

I raised my head towards her, finally getting a proper look. She was blonde and was the spitting image of the actress who played Jackie Tyler in Doctor Who. When I didn’t answer her question, she carried on speaking.

"I'm Jackie Tyler. And what about you sweetheart? What’s your name?”

Oh my god... Now I must be in a fucking dream. Quick, a name, anything!

"Alvia, ma'am. Just Alvia.”

“Alvia, very well. Do you have any family that you can contact? Friends? Anything?"

I shook my head. If I was actually in the Whoniverse then there is very little chance that I can contact my parents. And even if I could, what would I tell them? Hi, I’m your future daughter from another world, can I live with you please?

"Well, if you don’t have anyone you can stay here as long as you want. My daughter disappeared five months ago now, not a word, nothing. Her room is available if you want it. I am still looking for her though – I’m not about to give up hope.”

“I can’t! You don’t even know me, I could be a criminal for all you know!” I exclaimed.

She laughed at my panic.

"All I know is that you are a girl who is around the age of my daughter and who doesn’t have anywhere or anybody.”

“But you must pay rent, I should pay you!”

“Oh, shut up and accept what you’re being offered!"

I don’t say a word more. Jackie Tyler handed me a towel so that I could dry myself off. When my hair was nearly dry a yawn of fatigue escaped me. Rose's mother showed me the room in which I was going to stay indefinitely. Very pink by the way. How could anyone sleep with so much pink?

“Not a fan of pink, I see?” She commented after seeing the look on my face.

“I prefer blue.”

“I see. Your accent is charming, where do you come from?”

“France, I'm French."

She smiled sweetly at me and returned to the living room, leaving me alone. I put my suitcase in a corner of the room with my bags. I took off my shoes, my trousers and my jacket, leaving me in a t-shirt and underwear. I then removed my watch, my rings, my necklace and glasses. I was tired and my head ached, so I fell asleep quickly. Tomorrow would be another day.

XXXX

It was the sun that woke me up. When I opened my eyes, I didn’t recognize my environment, and to this unknown I reacted quickly. I jumped up and left the room quickly. When I reached the living room, I was greeted by Jackie, who was quietly drinking her tea, and the sound of the television that was broadcasting the news. At this sight, my heart calmed down and I became aware of the latest events. My shoulders sagged and I sighed with pity and relief. I returned to the pink room to put on my trousers and joined Jackie for breakfast.

"I didn’t know what you like to eat, so I prepared a little bit of everything.” Jackie informed me.

I thanked her and began to serve myself. I had a glass of orange juice and toast that I covered with jam. It wasn’t a huge breakfast, but it was enough for me.

When I finished, Jackie was kind enough to offer to help me settle into what was going to be my new room. She rearranged her daughter's wardrobe so I could put in my clothes and shoes. She took the clothes that were dirty so that they could be washed. When we finished with my clothes, she left me alone for the day. So, I took the initiative to empty my two bags and summarize what I had to hide from others and what I could use without fear.

First, my computer and my phone. They were hidden and secured to the maximum. I simply updated the security system and set a password. I chose for my password to be my real name, my year of birth and my birthday. For my phone, I decided to keep it on me. I already had a security system in place, a fingerprint and pin code, so the security was satisfactory at that time. I then put my phone in my pocket and my computer and charger in its bag under the bed. I would use it later.

The rest of my things were easy to put away, I had some books including Sherlock Holmes and Good Omens. I also had my pencil case, my sketchbook and my e-book reader and charger. I couldn’t thank my dad enough for packing all my favourite books. I had about 2000 in my bag.

Rummaging in my bag I took out my TARDIS wallet which had about fifty euros in cash and my credit card. At the sight of the money, I remembered that I absolutely had to learn the monetary system in England. I had to integrate. So, I took one of my sketchbooks and started a list of things to do and buy:

1 - Learn to use English money.

Because I didn’t know the English currency clearly enough.

2 - Never wear the weeping angel t-shirt.

 The image of an angel is an angel. I have enough problems and I do not need to add an angel into the equation.

3 - Avoid making references to the series and especially to series that haven’t come out yet.

And I hope they will come out.

4 - Limit the use of my phone and computer (except in the case of extreme urgency)

5 - Wait about one year to meet the Doctor and Rose.

Also, to prepare for the possibility of Rose’s rage when she meets me.

6 - Prepare for invasion of the Slitheen / Raxacoricofallapatorians.

And all the other invasions on Earth – also, try not to get killed.

7 – The Daleks are real, and, if I meet one, run as far as possible without being spotted by them.

8 – Do the same for the cybermen.

9 – And anything that can potentially kill me without me doing anything.

10 – Torchwood 1 is still active, so I must keep a low profile.

11 – The Master is crazy and dangerous even if he is hot and sexy. It’s absolutely not a good idea to join him. Same for Missy.

12 - Try to talk about main problems with the Doctor.

13 - Try not to get killed yourself.

Because I want to die in my sleep if possible and only when I'm a 90-year-old grandma.

14 - Avoid talking about spoilers as much as possible.

I know myself, there is a chance that this will happen in the next 5 minutes.

15 - Never, ever change a fixed point or time itself.

The fury of the last Time Lord is the last thing I want to provoke, and the Time Lord Victorious is wrong. And I do not want to have the Reapers appear because of me.

When I was satisfied with my list, I tore off my page and folded it in four before putting it in the inside pocket of my beige trench coat. (It’s like the 10th doctors coat, I found it at a charity shop, and I really love it)

It was now time for me, Alvia, 18, Whovian, to face - the Whoniverse.


	2. Alien in London

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone ! First chapter (because before it was a prologue), we start directly with the episode "Alien In London"!
> 
> Little infos before starting, I created a new Tumblr (because I have one at the base) on which I would post some picture of clothing that my OC wears, like a coat, a t-shirt ... Because the description is good, but seeing in real life is better!
> 
> the name is : alviatheginger.tumblr.com
> 
> I will not hold you back any longer, enjoy your reading!

It's been 7 months since I arrived at Jackie Tyler's. I thought she was a little too overbearing and demanding in the series, but I realized she was only being a single mother worried about her child. This child, of course, had disappeared, and we don’t know where.

This morning, when I woke up, the weather was pretty clear and cloudless. In short, it was a good day. The problem was the sweat that had stuck to my skin since waking up. Trusting my instincts, I put myself in comfortable clothes that were fit for the weather. So, after donning a black t-shirt with a white sky, trees, a UFO and text that says "I WANT TO BELIEVE” printed on it, I put my black jeans and my worn red converses on. I took my black sweater and leather jacket and prepared to put them on my shoulders when I heard the noise of something breaking in the living room. I ran, worried, around the living room to see Jackie holding a girl I guessed was Rose Tyler.

"Jackie, are you all right?"

No answer. At the same time, what was I expecting?

Suddenly, a man with a black leather jacket came in. They were the spitting image of Christopher Eccleston. It's the Doctor.

"It's not 12 hours, it's... 12 months. You have been gone a whole year.”

A mocking sniff escaped me, drawing everyone’s attention - and Rose Tyler's fury, to me.

“Who are you?!” She shouted, “What are you doing in my house?!”

“Whoa, blondie! Calm down! How can you ask me who I am when you disappeared for a year? Don’t you know the meaning of the word priority?"

My question unanswered, I put my sweater and jacket on before starting to leave.

"I'm going to get some fresh air, Jackie! I’ll leave you alone to reunite with your daughter!"

A smile settled on my lips and when I put my eyes on the man, a slightly mocking laugh emerging without me being able to stop myself. I then went to the roof. I knew that the Doctor was going there, and it had been a little quiet corner for me in recent months.

I just met the 9th Doctor. My first doctor. He was, as I thought, a look-alike of the actor, although a little taller than I had imagined, or was it because I was rather small compared to others? Anyway, a minute had passed before I could hear Jackie's voice. I wondered if everyone could hear what she was saying. Surely. The Doctor's slap is something I would not have missed, yet I did. I might have a second chance to see him get slapped by Martha's mother if I survive this episode and the Battle of Canary Wharf.

I sat on the concrete platform, enjoying the calm before the storm. If you’ll excuse my bad pun. The Doctor... I still can’t believe it, despite all the evidence before me.

So, I closed my eyes to calm down and felt the cool wind that had blown since this morning. I heard heavy footsteps and I guessed it was the Doctor, so I opened my eyes again and started to look at him from the corner of my eye. He rubbed his aching cheek. Oh, Jackie's slap, thank goodness I’ve never had to experience it.

"Nice t-shirt.” says the Doctor.

“Thank you.”

“So, who are you then?”

“Alvia, I've been here for seven months.”

“Alvia, that’s weird yet nice name. Alvia Who?"

I laughed; I had never heard that one before.

"Just Alvia.”

“Your accent is weird.”

“You're not the first to tell me that. I’m French.”

“Your English is pretty good.” complimented the Doctor.

“Quite correct, if I do say so myself. At certain times I lose my words and I speak in French, but of course nobody understands. Don’t the British learn any languages at school?”

“No idea."

A silence settled between us. I hesitated to tell him that I came from another world. And even if I told him, would he believe me? What would be the consequences?

It was when I finally decided to talk to him that Rose arrived on the roof. Bad timing. She went to settle in front of me.

"I can’t tell her. I can’t even begin... She’ll never forgive me. And I missed a year? Was it good?”

“You didn’t miss much.” I commented.

“I think I did, actually. Who are you and what are you doing in my house?”

“Your mother has taken me in.”

 “Yeah, and why did she do that? Do not you have your own family?” She asked me insensitively.

“Not Exactly, no. I have no family, no friends, no house! Nothing! Nada! Everything is gone!"

A tear ran down my cheek, making Rose feel guilty about her ignorance and worrying the Doctor about my condition. I wiped it away quickly.

"I'm sorry," said the Doctor.

“You don’t need to be. It wasn’t your fault. Life is like that. It is what it is."

Rose jumped up from the wall.

"Every conversation I have with you Doctor becomes completely mental. There is no one else I can talk to. I saw all that stuff up there, the size of it, and I can’t say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and I am the only person on planet Earth who knows they exist."

_Egocentric girl..._

Just after Rose had finished speaking, a spaceship narrowly missed us as it fell from the sky and continued to Big Ben, where it crashed into the Thames. We got up hurriedly.

"You said you were the only one? Now that’s no longer the case.” I laughed.

“Oh, now it's not fair!”

The Doctor laughed happily, grabbed our hands and pulled us in the direction of the action. I was rather surprised that he held my hand, but I smiled with happiness and excitement. The Doctor, hold _my_ hand!! Leave me in my Whovian moment!

We were running into town and it was a total chaos in the streets. When we arrived at the scene, the road was blocked by soldiers.

“It’s blocked.”

“Thank you Captain Obvious.” I snickered.

“We’re miles from the centre. The whole city must be gridlocked.”

“I know, I can’t believe I'm here to see this! It's fantastic!”

“Same!”

“Did you know this was going to happen?” Rose asked.

“Nope!”

_Yes_

“Do you recognize the ship?”

“Nope!”

_Yes_

“Do you know why it crashed?”

“Nope!”

_Unfortunately, yes._

“Oh, I'm so glad I’ve got you.”

“I bet you are! This is what I travel for, Rose, to see history happening right in front of us.”

“Well, let's go and see it. Never mind the traffic, we’ve got the TARDIS.”

“If everyone is on alert, there is no way to pass by without being noticed,” I intervened suddenly. “Maybe we should do what everyone else is doing, that is, watch TV?"

At my words the Doctor looked at me as if it was a completely new idea for him. At the same time, coming from the guy who hadn’t noticed the London eye...

The Doctor approved of my idea, much to Rose's chagrin, and we returned to the estate and Jackie's apartment. So, I turned on the TV and stood next to the Doctor to give him the remote.

The doctor changed between two news channels; News 24 and another American one whose name I still don’t know. At that very moment, Jackie's friends entered the apartment and it filled up quickly with noise. The scene behind me was exactly the same as the one happening in the episode. A lot of noise for nothing. I felt a migraine coming on.

At one moment, the TV changed onto a food channel where the presenter was making a spaceship cake. A laugh escaped me attracting the attention of the Doctor and the kid on his lap

"What were the odds that a ship crashed in the middle of London and he was cooking a space cake?”

I received no answer and the boy went away after a little fight with the Doctor. He had won the remote control.

The day passed rather quickly, and the Powell Estate was celebrating. I had put aside my leather jacket, which is nice, but I die of heat when I wear it with my black sweater. I saw the Doctor look around before getting up quickly and discreetly. Not wanting to stay amid anyone I didn’t know, I started to follow him. Rose had quickly noticed our absence as she found us immediately.

"And where do you think you’re going?”

“To the roof, I feel a bit left out inside, not really my family...” I apologized.

Rose accepted my apology, her eyes showed compassion. Or pity, I don’t know…

“Nowhere!” Replied the Doctor. “It's just a bit human in there for me. History just happened and they’re talking about where you can buy dodgy top up cards for half price. I'm off on a wander, that's all.”

“Right. There’s a spaceship on the Thames and you’re just _‘wandering’_ ”.

“Nothing to do with me. It's not an invasion, that was a genuine crash-landing. Angle of descent, colour of smoke, everything! It was perfect.

_A bit too perfect_

“So?”

“So, maybe this is it! First contact. The day mankind officially comes into contact with an alien race. I'm not interfering, ‘cause you gotta handle this on your own. That's when the human race finally grows up. Just this morning you were tiny and small and made of clay! Now you can expand!”

He laughed with joy and Rose smiled at his enthusiasm. I smiled at their complicity. Now it's time for me to move away. Surprisingly, the Doctor started to leave a few seconds after me. I heard Rose ask him to promise that he wasn’t going to disappear, after that I entered the stairwell and I guessed he was going to give her the Tardis key. As I was about to get on the roof, the Doctor called me.

"Oi! Do you want to see something incredible? Follow me!"

Did he really propose that I could meet the TARDIS?! This is my only chance! Without even thinking, I turned around and went down to his side.

"Something incredible? I think Rose's return and this morning's crash was enough for my day and maybe my entire life."

The doctor chuckled at my comment. It was cute. His laugh I mean. And no need to tell me that I fangirl too much, Nine was my first doctor and I think one of my top 3 favourite regenerations. Ten is a close second and I still hesitate between Eleven and Twelve. I was lucky enough to watch Thirteen's debut, which was great by the way, and unfortunately, I would never know how it would end! I'm always frustrated about these details, I would never see the end of Season 11. Or the end of Game of Thrones, nor Fantastic Beasts, nor Infinity War! Shit!

We finally left the block of flats. As in the series, the woman on the third floor called out to the Doctor.

“Oi! Gorgeous! Come back and join the party!"

And another man called to me.

"Hey! Foxy, come here and enjoy the party!"

My cheeks ignited. Foxy?!

"Foxy?! Why Foxy?” I murmured furiously.

“It’s the red hair.” Replied the amused Doctor.

We finally approached the Tardis. The doctor pulled out his key and headed for the door. So, I decided to play the ‘ignorance’ card.

"That's your incredible thing. It's just a blue police booth used in the 1950s, and I admire the fact that it's well preserved.”

“Go inside.” he said, smiling as he opened the door.

“It's just a wooden box!"

He nodded at me and after an inner scream of joy and a false roll of the eyes, I headed inside. Which is bigger than the outside. Or is the outside smaller than the inside?

Now, I know I don’t have to act. It's much more impressive than what we saw on the show. My mouth formulated a silent O. My eyes looked all around, and I think it was at that moment that all my rational thinking was erased and my vaguely scientific mind went out.

_Finally, it's my go!_

“Oh Mon **DIEU**!!! C’est… c’est… plus grand à l’intérieur !” 

“Yup! It's the TARDIS, my spaceship.”

“Ou plus petit de l’extérieur ?!”  I continued without listening to the Doctor.

Honestly, I think I'm going to dramatize like twelve in the Christmas episode with River. That scene was so great.

“You're okay?”

“Je rêve, c’est un rêve. Ou droguée !  J’ai été droguée, je savais qu’il ne fallait pas que je bois le café de ce matin, il était bien trop sucré ! C’est toujours le café...” I murmured, falsely frantic and horrified.

“Seriously, you're starting to scare me, are you okay?”

“I'm fine! I doubt the reality of this place but I'm fine!"

He smiled at me and started pressing a few buttons before turning a handle. The column moved and the Tardis took off, making its famous sound.

“This sound…”

“Is there a problem?”

“It's the most beautiful sound I've ever heard!” I said to him smiling.

I climbed the stairs and headed for the driver's chair to sit down.

The console began to smoke. The doctor hit her several times with a hammer to solve the problem.

"So, are we going somewhere?”

“The Albion hospital is where the body is.”

“What are you going to do after that?”

“I don’t know, I’ll see when I get there.”

“The world is in danger, but you’re there, running in circles without plan until the moment you find one. That’s the usual for you, isn’t it Doctor?"

The Doctor looked at me sharply and I put my hands to my mouth. The last sentence had escaped me.

"You know me.” He dangerously accused. “Who are you really?"

This look, I know him. It's the Oncoming storm and it’s coming for me.

"It’s complicated.”

“That doesn’t work on me.”

“No really, it's complicated."

He approached quickly and I couldn’t help but try to make myself small.

"Last warning... Who are you?"

I crack, I had to tell him. I knew that I could never hide it for very long.

"From a parallel universe, one day I was going home to France and the next day I was in London in 2005!"

He stopped abruptly, frowning.

"And how would you know that you have changed universes to another?”

“First of all, my time. I found myself going from 2018 to 2005, but then, also, you.”

“What, me?”

“You don’t exist in my world, you’re supposed to be fictitious to me!”

“What? I’m only a book character? That's ridiculous!” Denied the Doctor.

“I never said that you came from a book!” I exclaimed. “Listen, in my world we had a British sci-fi series created in 1963. In this series we follow the adventures of an alien and his companions with his space and time machine! Guess who the alien is?”

“What proves to me that you’re telling the truth?”

“The first time you met Rose was in the basements of Henricks department store. Filled with Autons. You held her hand and you told her one word: Run."

The Doctor blanched suddenly. I think he believed me.

“This show follows my life? From what period?”

“I know the show started the day you took your first companions, Ian and Barbara. Of course, we don’t follow all the episodes. More than 900 years of serial adventure is impossible."

The Doctor's anger came back quickly. But he displayed a mask of horror, anger, rage, and confusion.

"But that was centuries ago!" The Doctor finally shouted, "You’ve just admitted that a universe knows my whole life!”

"Not all your life.” I tried to calm him down. “It’s more like a well detailed summary instead of the whole story.”

“That's not helping at all.”

“Yeah... I know...” I apologized, rubbing my arms.

“That means you know where I come from.”

“Yeah...”

_I feel like something bad is about to happen…_

“That also means you know about the Time War.”

_Danger! Be careful what you say!!_

“Yeah...”

“Did you watch it?"

I looked up at his face and fixed my eyes with his.

"Answer me, did the people who watched this show comfortably at home watch my people be killed and burned during the war!”

“The Time War has never been shown! We talk about it several times, we know who you fought against and how you ended it! That's all!"

My answer didn’t seem to please him, since he caught me by the shoulder and slammed me against the console. My back ached painfully against the levers and buttons. I instinctively wanted to free myself from his grip, but he tightened it even more. A groan of pain escaped me as well as tears.

"It's always the same with you, humans, you love violence and death, except when you're the ones concerned!!”

“You’re hurting me, Doctor! Let me go!!"

His mood changed instantly. He stepped back suddenly, as if I had burned him.

"Alvia ..."

I bent forward and massaged my bruised shoulder.

“I’m sorry.”

His voice was trembling, he was sincere.

“I know…”

“I really am, I'm sorry.”

“I _know_."

I rubbed my shoulder until the pain was only a dull ache. I kneaded my muscles deeply and then released.

“So…”

“So what?”

“So, do you believe me? About the parallel universe and all that?”  I say, gesturing with my hand.

“Yeah. But if, as you say, you watch my life through a TV show, then that means you have knowledge of my future. So, we'll make it simple by laying down basic rules. You don't say a single piece of information, not a clue, not a reference, nothing. Do you understand?”

“Absolutely."

We agreed on the rules and smiled at each other. The doctor then went back to the console to look at the screen.

"So, are we going to Albion Hospital?”

“What did I say about the references?” The Doctor growled.

“It's not even future knowledge! It's a pure and simple fact! It’s obvious that you are curious about this, and then you go and ‘wander’ off as if by chance!”

“Well. Indeed, we are going to the hospital, if the creature that was brought to the hospital is still alive, it's out of the question to leave it in the hands of humans."

I nodded in understanding. And after a chaotic ride we arrived at the hospital, in a storage cupboard.

The Doctor turned on his screwdriver, which made an unusual sound. A little too loudly for his taste since then he began to tell it to hush by turning it off quickly.

"It's sonic, it's definitely going to make a noise!” I whispered to him.

“Oh, Shut up!"

_Rude_

The Doctor finally unlocked the door and opened it. We found ourselves in a room where about twenty soldiers were talking and laughing. But they all became alert when they noticed us and quickly pointed their guns at us. And the Doctor smiled. Like always.

I wanted to comment on the timing of the smile but then we heard a shout. Toshiko. The Doctor stopped smiling and ran to the door quickly. One thing that is not really shown in the series. The doctor is not just _fast_ , but _really fast_. It took me a good ten seconds to react and follow him.

"Defence plan delta! Come on, move! Move!”

The soldiers followed us into the halls towards the direction of the scream. We ran down the halls until we spotted Tosh on the floor, curled up.

“It’s alive!”

I rushed to her to calm her down and the Doctor turned to the men behind us.

"Spread out. Tell the perimeter it’s a lockdown.”

"And do not shoot until we've ordered it," I ordered coldly, looking at them out of the corner of my eye.

The Doctor joined me and held Tosh's hands. The soldiers still haven’t moved. And while Tosh told the Doctor that the creature was still alive, I took charge and shouted at them with courage I didn’t know I had.

“For God's sake! MOVE, NOW! AND DO NOT SHOOT!"

The soldiers fled and began to scatter in the building.

"Nice one.”

“Not now, Doctor. She's hurt and the creature is alive and scared!”

“Alvia, the rule...”

“Rules are made to be broken and in a moment like this I would not hesitate to break them, now shut up.”

“I swear, it was dead.” continued Toshiko in her shock.

“Coma, shock, hibernation, anything. What does it look like?”

A slight noise was heard, and the Doctor turned to the sound.

“It’s still here.”

I nodded even though the Doctor wasn’t looking at me. The Doctor stood up and motioned for a soldier to enter the room. He discreetly searched for the sound and when he heard another noise he fell on his knees and crawled behind the desk. He could see the shadow of the pig on the other side of the desk. I prepared to get up quickly and run to catch him before he was killed by one of the soldiers.

“Hello” Began the Doctor in vain.

The pig screamed in terror and crossed the room at full speed. The soldier prepared his weapon despite the order I had given to him. But really, who would listen to an 18 year old girl?

“DON’T SHOOT!”

I ran after the pig and saw that one of the soldiers had his gun pointed at him. I sprinted then and caught the pig to exchange places with it. A bang was heard, and a sharp pain arose on my already bruised shoulder. The pain made me let out a groan and a good insult in French about his ancestors, and himself sans his descendants. I fell to the ground holding my shoulder and pressing my wound. The Doctor arrived immediately, glad that the pig wasn’t dead. But his joy fell short when he saw me, on the floor, blood flowing from the shoulder under my hand.

“What did you do that for? It was scared and now you’ve hurt her!”

The soldier looked ashamed. He was guilty, At least. I got shot and fuck, it fucking hurt!

The pig moaned in fear and approached me while the Doctor crouched to look at my wound.

“Let me see your wound,” he said softly.

I removed my hand covered with my own blood and he observed as best he could my wound. But the corridor was dark, and he couldn’t see anything. He helped me up and took me to the room where we were previously. The pig followed me closely and did not leave me for a second.

When we arrived in the office, he carefully removed my sweater and pointed his screwdriver on my wound.

“The bullet is still inside but it hasn’t touched any arteries or veins. I will remove the bullet when we’re back on the TARDIS. For the moment, press hard enough to reduce the blood flow but don’t press too hard either, the bullet is still in there.”

The pig sniffs my hand covered with blood and moans in pity. While I put my hand on my shoulder, I stroke it with the other hand.

“I just assumed that’s what alien’s looked like. But you’re saying it’s an ordinary pig, from earth?”

“More like a mermaid. Victorian showmen used to draw the crowds by taking the skull of a cat and gluing it to a fish and calling it a mermaid. Now someone’s taken a pig, opened up its brain, stuck bits on, then they’ve strapped it in that ship, made it dive bomb. It must've been terrified. They've taken this animal and turned it into a joke.”

“That’s horrible…” I whispered. “You must have almost died of fear…”

The Doctor took my hand and we started to leave, the pig following me as usual. We quickly returned to the TARDIS and we dematerialized immediately before going to the medical bay.

There, he put me on the bed and took off my t-shirt.

“I loved that’s shirt…” I sighed, seeing the hole in the shoulder.

“You just got shot and you’re worrying about a t-shirt? Your sense of priorities worries me…”

The Doctor searched through some cabinets for medical equipment. Five minutes later everything was ready and he was already starting to remove the bullet from my shoulder. I felt no pain, thanks to the anaesthesia that the Doctor had given to me, but as a matter of Principle I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. For a while, I could hear nothing else but our breaths. I realised that I must find a name for the pig, as I will not call it ‘pig’ all the time. Suddenly, I heard a clear jingle at my side and when I opened my eyes, I saw a bullet covered with my own blood in a dish. The Doctor cleaned my wound and passed some kind of pen that repaired my flesh over it. It left a small pink scar on my skin.

“Here. The anaesthesia should be gone in about an hour. Meanwhile don’t get shot again.”

“Are you kidding me? It’s my favourite pastime.” I replied sarcastically. “Anyway, what are we going to do with Andre?”

“Andre?” He asked, confused.

“The pig.”

“Oh... His body is not made to stand up, I'm afraid he has only a few hours to live at most.”

“Poor thing…”

“You saved him from being shot to death, that's enough for him.”

“But still.”

We returned to the console room. The Doctor materialized the TARDIS where he was before the hospital and read a few things on the computer screen. I simply sat on the floor, as I did so often in my world. During break and lunch in high school, I had to sit down at some point. And if I was lucky, I was near the radiator in winter.

Andre then sat next to me, claiming caresses that I gave him willingly. He reacted like my dog. I miss him right now.

Rose entered the TARDIS. She saw me on the floor with Andre and looked annoyed while she glared at me. I think she doesn’t like me. It’s a pity, she was one of my favourites as the Doctor’s companions. After Donna, Sarah Jane, Bill and of course Jack Harkness.

“Alright, so I lied. I went and had a look, but the whole crash landing’s a fake. I thought so, just too perfect. I mean, ‘Hitting Big Ben’? Come on. So I thought, ‘let’s go and have a look.’”

“My mum’s here.”

The door creaked. Jackie, followed by Mickey, came inside. Mickey pales a little when he sees Andre next to me. It’s true that seeing a pig sitting like a human in a space suit isn’t a trivial thing.

“Oh, that’s just what I need.” Complained the Doctor. “Don’t you dare make this place domestic!”

“You ruined my life, Doctor.” Accused Mickey.

The Doctor spins smoothly around to face him. He had a look that clearly said ‘keep going, I’m not listening’

“They thought she was dead. I was a murder suspect because of you.”

“See what I mean?” Said the Doctor to Rose. “Domestic!”

The Doctor spins back to face the computer screen and Mickey takes a few steps towards him, wanting to continue the one-sided fight. He was clearly upset.

“I bet you don’t even remember my name!”

“Ricky”

“It’s Mickey”

“No, it’s Ricky.”

“I think I know my own name.”

“You think you know your own name? How stupid are you?”

Mickey was about to continue the Doctor's game, but he was prevented from doing so, when Jackie ran out of the Tardis and Rose pursued her quickly.

“Mum, don’t!”

She turned to the boys to warn them.

"Don’t go anywhere! Don’t start a fight.”

And she turned to me. I was rather surprised by this sudden attention.

“And you! Don’t think we're done talking!"

And she finally left.

"I have absolutely no fucking idea what she's talking about...”

“Language.” The Doctor's growls weakly.

I stuck my tongue out. You've seen how mature I am, I've always known it's one of my best qualities. Or defects, it depends on your point of view.

I got up to join the boys. And Rose came back as quickly as she had left.

“That was a real space ship?” Asked Rose.

“Yep!”

“So, it was all a pack of lies? What is it, then, that they’re invading?”

“Funny way to invade, putting the world on red alert.” Mickey commented

“Especially if the invader spoils his ship,” I smiled at him. “Because if the invasion fails, he may have trouble leaving again."

Mickey giggled with amusement, as did the Doctor. Rose stared at me, it was a little creepy.

“Good point!” Said the Doctor, mildly impressed. “So, what’re they up to?”

Finding no answer on the screen, the Doctor understood that he had to mess with his TARDIS a little to get some information. He took off one of the grates he set aside and lay down in the hole, leaving his shoes on the surface.

Interested in what he was doing, I sat at his side, legs crossed over the iron grating. He alternated several wires and touched some buttons and stuff that looked like a computer motherboard. I put my head on my hand and continued to watch it. His hands were agile and fast, it was fascinating. The series didn’t show this in as much detail, it's a shame.

After a few minutes, Mickey joined us, curious about what the Doctor was doing.

“What are you doing down there?”

“Rickey…” began the Doctor with his Sonic in his mouth.

“ _Mickey.”_

I quickly removed the sonic from his mouth so he could speak. Or should I say provoke. He thanked me for the action.

“Ricky, if I was to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?”

“I suppose not…”

“Well, Shut it, then.”

Mickey sulked and went back to Rose’s side. I heard him talking, but I didn’t really care about what they said… On the other hand, what the Doctor was doing was more interesting.

Did I already tell you that I had a crush on the Doctor? No? Well, now it’s done. I have a crush on Sherlock Holmes too, and Loki, and Newt Scamander. I Also have a crush on the actors: Christopher Eccleston (even if he is too old for me like Capaldi), David Tennant, Matt Smith, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch... Anyway, I think you understand.

“So… What are you doing to the TARDIS? I know I won’t understand half of what you’re going to tell me, but I can try. I’m just curious.”

The Time Lord looked at me and saw that I was really interested in what he was doing. He explained to me what he was doing, simplifying at some points, and I quickly understood the idea. I nodded with a smile and returned his screwdriver when he needed it to finish up. After that, he jumped back to the surface and exclaimed happily.

“Got it! Ha Ha! Patched in the radar, looped it back twelve hours, so it’ll follow the flight of that spaceship. Here we go!”

He shook the screen. Because it’s common knowledge that shaking or hitting what doesn’t work will make it work better.

“Hold on…”

The screen finally shows what he wanted.

“See? Except hold on. See? the spaceship did a sling shot round the Earth before it landed.”

“What does that mean?” Asked Rose.

“Means it came from Earth in the first place. It went up and came back down. Whoever those aliens are, they haven’t just arrived. They’ve been here for a while. Question is, what have they been doing?”

“The fact that they used Andre as a puppet shows that they were on earth. You said earlier that it was a pig from Earth…” I intervened.

“And when did he say that?” Rose asked disdainfully.

“At Albion Hospital, when I examined Andre. The pig.” Answered the Doctor, frowning at Rose’s tone.

Speaking of Andre, he was still sitting on the ground, but he looked bad. I found myself at his side only to realize that his time was coming to an end. I gently stroked his head when he began to moan softly.

“He says he’s glad to have met you and to have a name.”

“And I’m happy to have saved you…” I whispered to him.

Andre closed his eyes slowly and his breath slowed until he finally disappeared. My throat tightened and my eyes stung. I then blinked to keep my tears from running. It wasn’t the moment to cry.

_I swear that those who hurt you, will pay… I swear…_

I laid Andre on the floor and the Doctor covered him with a white sheet from nowhere. He then put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently to comfort me.

The doctor returned to the screen followed by Rose and Mickey. I sat in the seat thinking about everything that had happened. I got shot, Andre died and in a few moments, I will have the chance to go into Downing Street.

“UNIT! United Nations Intelligence Task Force, good people.”  Exclaimed the Doctor.

“How do you know them?” Asked Rose.

“‘Cos he’s worked for them. Oh yeah, don’t think I sat on my back side for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you.  You look deep enough on the Internet or in the history books, and there’s his name. Followed by a list of the dead.”

“Why doesn’t anybody look at the list of people he’s saved instead?”

The Doctor turned his grateful look to me before turning his attention back to Mickey.

“That’s nice. Good boy, Ricky.”

“If you know them, why don’t you go and help?”

“‘Cause they wouldn’t recognize him. He has changed a lot, and I mean literally.”

“Besides, the world’s on a knife-edge. There’s aliens out there and fake aliens. We want to keep this alien out of the mix. I’m going undercover… And, uh, better keep the TARDIS out of sight. Ricky! You’ve got a car, you can do some driving!”

We finally got to the door to go out. Having the aim of going to see the spaceship. But as soon as we go out, we were blinded by the searchlights of helicopters. And we were arrested, of course.

Quickly, we were surrounded by police cars and soldiers. All pointed their arms at us, and they prevented our escape. Except Mickey who manages to flee. Seeing their weapons, I clenched at the memory of earlier. I approached the Doctor until the notion of space no longer existed between us. To reassure me, he brought me closer by putting his arm around my waist.

The soldiers approached us, and we were ordered to put our hands up. To avoid any problems, we did what they ordered and we were driven to a police car. We got inside and it started immediately when the door was closed. I was between Rose and the Doctor.

“This is a bit posh. If I knew it was gonna be like this, being arrested, I would’ve have done it years ago.”

“We’re clearly being escorted,” I said. “Arrests are a little more violent, especially if you’re the criminal.”

“Have you ever been arrested?” Asked the Doctor with a worried look.

“What? No!” I laughed. “But the TV shows show that they don’t have a great regard for those who break the law.”

“Ok, fine, not arrested but escorted,” Rose carried on. “But escorted where?”

“Where’d you think? Downing Street!”

He laughs and Rose joins him.

“I don’t understand. Downing Street, is where your prime minister is, right? Why are you so excited about visiting this place?”

“It’s a once in a lifetime chance! Come on, you should be excited too!” She said, pushing me a little.

“Weeelll… I never really wanted to visit the Elysee, and it’s not with Downing Street that I’m going to start wanting to. It’s not really an experience you can put on a CV, right?” I laughed softly.

The Doctor chuckled and I heard Rose giggle too.

“Seriously,” said Rose with a smile. “Downing Street? Why? How come?”

“I hate to say it, but Mickey was right. Over the years I’ve visited this planet a lot of times, and I’ve been, uh, noticed.”

“It’s not like you’re exactly quiet…” I mocked.

“Now they need you?”

“Like it said on the news, they’re gathering experts in alien knowledge. And who’s the biggest expert of the lot?” He asked with a grin of hope.

“The Illuminati?”

“Alvia…”

I laughed again and Rose frowned slightly.

“Patrick Moore?”

“Apart from him!” He exclaimed, offended.

I laughed harder. Oh, how easy he is to tease! It’s a real mouthful of fresh air.

“Stop laughing Alvia! Oh, I’m telling you, Llyod George, he used to drink me up under the table. Who’s the Prime Minister now?”

“How should I know? I missed a year. Ask Alvia instead.”

“I only know four, three of them as historical figures. And technically two are in the future here. The last one, if I remember his name, is Tony Blair, but I’m not sure if it’s the same here.”

“So?”

“No idea,” I replied with a shrug.

“You are useless.” commented Rose.

“Oi! I’m French, remember? What am I supposed to do with English politics in my country? It’s bad enough that my country hardly knows how to speak English, that we don’t have the greatest government, and then the English’s... and in addition it is 2006, I was 6 years old at the time!”

“By the way,” remarked the Doctor. “Despite your accent, you speak quite good English. You don’t even need help from the TARDIS.”

“When you have good motivation, it's pretty easy. But you should have seen me when I was in middle school , I was terrible. It was only in the last year that I started to improve and when I came to high school, I was one of the top three in my class.”

“What were your motivations?”

“Harry Potter, Monty Python, The Marvel Movies, Game of Thrones, the BBC's Sherlock series adaptation. Star Trek and his English competitor, I recited by watching the doctor on the last one. You know, that kind of motivation. And the English actors, don’t forget the English actors."

The car finally stops in front of 10 Downing Street. Paparazzi and policemen were in front of the door. And by the hundreds. I saw the Doctor waving at people and Rose smiling nervously. As a matter of principle, I rolled my eyes and quickly reached the door that displayed the number 10, while avoiding showing my face to cameras. I always promoted anonymity, but here I had to make it my gospel. It's still a world where I don’t exist.

We finally got inside the building, and a policeman showed us the way to a room full of people and who the alien experts were.

A man came quickly and called out to everyone.

“Ladies and gentlemen, can we convene? Quick as we can, please. It’s this way on the right. And can I remind you, ID cards are to be worn at all times.” He said aloud before approaching us and giving a card to the Doctor and to my biggest surprise to me too.

“Why do I have one?”

“Are you Alvia?”

“Yeah but…”

“I received a call that you must be here too.”

“Who told you that?” Rose asked, clearly unhappy that she couldn’t enter too.

“American man, he said to be a captain, I couldn’t remember his name considering the current situation, sorry.”

“No need to be, I know who he is. Thank you.”

An American man, and a captain? It’s definitely Jack Harkness. But the question I ask myself is, why I had to attend his meeting? I certainly didn’t want to be electrocuted to death.

“I’m sorry, your companion doesn’t have clearance.”

“I don’t go anywhere without her.”

“You’re the code nine and a last minute recommendation, not her.”

“She’s staying with us.” Insists the Doctor.

“I’m Sorry, Doctor… It is the Doctor, isn’t it? She’ll have to stay outside. Look, Even I don’t have clearance to go in there, I can’t let her in and that’s a fact.”

“It’s alright, you go.” She said to the Doctor, glancing at me.

A woman emerges from behind the secretary. Indra! I remember! And it’s Harriet Jones!

“Excuse me? Are you the Doctor?”

Indra looked positively exasperated by her, at the same time I remember she was trying to get a project through, and she was a little nagging, it seems.

“Not now, we’re busy. Can’t you go home?”

The Doctor turned to Rose.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, they’re the experts, you should hear what they’ve got to say.”

“Don’t get into any trouble.”

The Doctor nodded and we followed the other experts into the room. The experts were all sitting in their places and there was only one chair left. The Doctor left me the chair and before I sat down, I grabbed his arm to bring him closer to me and whisper in his ear.

"Take off your card, it's a trap. We need to do the same with others”

The Doctor stared at me, frowning. I know that I clearly didn’t respect the rules that were laid. But if I’m here, it's probably for a good reason. He slowly nodded his affirmation and removed his badge to put it on the table. I did the same with mine. I sat down and crossed my arms before nibbling the nail of my right thumb. I was nervous.

In front of us stood what was formerly General Asquith and Joseph Green.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, If I could have your attention, please. As you can see from the summaries in front of you, the ship had one porcine pilot…”

The Doctor cut into the general’s speech.

“Of course, the really interesting bit happened three days ago, see? Filed away under every other business. The North Sea satellite detected a signal, a little blip of radiation at a hundred fathoms, like there’s something down there.” says the Doctor, starting to walk around. “You were just about to investigate, and the next thing you know, this happens. Spaceships, pigs, massive diversion, from what?”

The General and the Prime Minister had not taken their eyes off the Doctor since he had begun his speech. I could also imagine the gears turning in his head in search of an answer.

“If aliens fake an alien crash and an alien pilot, what do they get?” He said before pausing.

Our eyes met and I was able to answer his silent question by nodding slightly. His look became even more serious.

“Us. They get us.”

“It’s trap, Doctor. Not a diversion.” I said finally drawing all eyes on me.

I could literally feel the pressure on my shoulders. An uncomfortable shiver ran up my spine and my skin was covered with goose bumps. My instincts and my own conscience told me to flee as quickly as possible. But it was out of the question. I didn’t want to be a coward - but I didn’t want to die either.

“This is all about us. Alien experts, the only people with the knowledge how to find them gathered together in one room.”

A fart sound rang out. The doctor raised his eyebrows and stared at the prime minister with a sharp and offended look.

“Excuse me, do you mind not farting while I’m saving the world?”

“Would you rather silent but deadly?”

The General and the Prime Minister sneered at each other. Asquith took off his cap and began to open the zipper on his forehead. Green started to laugh, and we could all see a light escape from the General’s forehead. He finally opened his skull and removed his skin suit to reveal the hidden alien inside.

The Slitheen began to roar and the experts looked at him in shock.

“We are the Slitheen.”

And while the other was starting to talk I screamed.

"Remove all your identity cards! NOW!"

Many did it quickly and threw them to the ground, but some frowned and didn’t, and it was fatal to them. Green had pressed the button of his weapon and the cards unloaded a phenomenal amount of electricity, killing those who still wore them. The ones that were not worn shone and still reached the experts who were too close to their identity card.

The room was bathed in blue light and the Doctor looked for a map in the chaos and dying cries of adults. And all this under the laughter of Slitheen.


	3. World War Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone ! Here is the third chapter that I have written to you with joy. no seriously.
> 
> I forgot in the previous chapter to introduce my beta TheGuardianoftimeandspace (ff.net).
> 
> She corrects all the mistakes I could make in English and that I didn't see.
> 
> Eh oui, l'erreur est humaine !
> 
> Anyway, enjoy your reading ! And thanks for following me and leaving kudos :D

After a moment of shock, the Doctor took, with considerable effort, an electric card in his hand. Of course, that caused him pain and after staggering towards the Slitheen he plunged it into the Alien's chest. He screamed in pain along with the other Slitheen.

"Deadly to humans, maybe."

The electricity went off for the bodies and I rushed to one of the experts who had removed the card. I checked for her pulse and sighed with relief when I felt one. I think it stunned those who didn't wear it. The Doctor ran out of the room and I had to follow him. The Slitheen were still screaming in pain.

The doctor came to the hallway by the entrance and found security in the reception room. I followed him closely, breathless.

"Oi, You want aliens, you've got them. They're inside Downing Street." He said, clapping his hands. "Come on!"

We made a U-turn followed by the guards. I groaned about the fact that I could have stayed close to the experts, only to remind myself that the aliens themselves were there too.

When we arrived, I could see that Green was helping Asquith refine his disguise before they noticed us and stopped.

"Where've you been?"

Security began to check the experts for signs of life.

"I called for help, I sounded the alarm. There was this lightning, a kind of er… um… electricity, and they all collapsed!"

"Some are still alive!" Remarked one of the guards. "They don't have their cards around their necks! The others are dead!"

"That's what I'm saying!" Growled the Prime Minister before pointing at us. "It's them, this girl and this man over there!"

"I think you will find the Prime Minister is an alien in disguise."

I face-palmed. That doesn't work on him and it won't work on Queen Elizabeth. The Doctor noted the ineffectiveness of his intervention.

"That's never going to work, is it?"

"Nope."

"Fair enough."

He took my hand and ran out of the room, I struggled to keep up with him, but luckily, he was holding my hand. Security followed us and quickly we were surrounded with our back to the elevator. He puts his hands in the air smiling as I quietly press the call button of the elevator.

"Under the jurisdiction of the Emergency Protocols, I authorize you to execute this man and that girl!"

They ready their guns, but I could see that some were uncomfortable killing a girl as young as me. I think it's my size that gives the illusion of youth. I hate my size.

"Uh, well, now, yes… You see, uh, the thing is, If I was you, if I was going to execute someone by backing them against the wall, between you and me, little word of advice."

I heard the elevator 'ping' and the door opened behind us.

"Don't stand them against the lift!"

We walked backwards into the elevator and the Doctor quickly closed the door with his sonic screwdriver. He pressed on the first-floor button and the lift went up. I leant on the wall, trying to recover my strength.

We reached the first floor and the door opened on another Alien and I stiffened. The Doctor closed the door with the sonic.

"You know you could just hit the button like a normal person."

"Now, why would I do that when I have this!" He said, showing me his screwdriver.

We reached the second floor where we went out looking for stairs. We finally found them, and then we heard the sergeant downstairs barking his orders in the distance. We heard the 'ping' of the elevator and the Doctor pulled me back so that we could hide between the door and a lamp. He held me tight against his chest so that we wouldn't be spotted. I had to turn my head to the side otherwise I was going to suffocate in the Doctor's t-shirt. I couldn't help but inhale deeply and his smell invaded my nose. You know, breathing is useful for living.

He smelled of old leather and books. The typical smell of a person, a man, was indescribable but pleasant. And there was something else too. Something old and new at the same time, say I'm cliché, but... it may have been the smell of time itself.

The Slitheen passed by without noticing us as they were talking.

"We'll keep this floor quarantined as our last hunting ground before we set up the final phase."

The doctor bent his neck and waited, before we left quietly. We followed them noiselessly until we heard Rose scream. The doctor ran for a fire extinguisher and entered the room where the Slitheen, Rose and Harriet Jones were. He lit the fire extinguisher and hit one of the Slitheen in the face. It was not nice.

"Out! With me!"

Rose pulled the curtains so that they fell on the female Slitheen and ran behind the Doctor, next to me. Harriet joined us quickly too.

"Who the hell are you?" Asked the Doctor, looking at her.

"This isn't the time, Doctor!"

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North."

"Yes, we know who you are! Nice to meet you! Can we leave now?!"

"Don't be rude, Alvia."

He fired another shot and let go of the fire extinguisher. We left as fast as we could.

"We need to get to the cabinet rooms."

"The Emergency Protocols are in there, they give instructions for aliens!"

"Harriet Jones, I like you!"

"And I like you too."

We were still running when the Doctor stopped to open a door with his screwdriver. We arrived in the cabinet room and the Doctor grabbed a bottle of alcohol before pointing his screwdriver at it and standing in front of the main door where the three aliens were preparing to enter.

"One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol. Whoof! We all go up. So back off!"

The threat made the Slitheen hesitate.

"Right then, Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?"

"They're aliens." replied Harriet.

"No shit Sherlock."

"Yes, I got that, thanks. Alvia, language!"

I pouted.

"And who are you, if not human?"

"Who's not human?"

"He's not human." Rose replied.

"He's not human?"

"Can I have a bit of hush?"

"Sorry."

"So, what's the plan?"

"But he's got a Northern accent." Noted Harriet, looking at rose.

"Lot of planets have North." I answered quickly, getting a glare from Rose and the Doctor who was exasperated.

"I said hush!"

He raised the alcohol, threatening.

"Come on! You've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It's transmitting a signal. You've murdered your way to the top of government, what for? Invasion?"

"Why would we invade this God forsaken rock?"

"Then something's brought the Slitheen race here, what is it?"

"The Slitheen race?"

"Slitheen is not our species. Slitheen is our surname. Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer Day Slitheen at your service."

"So you're family?" guessed the Doctor.

"It's a family business."

"Then you're out to make a profit. How can you do that on a ' _God forsaken rock_ '?"

"Ahhh… excuse me? You said your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability…?"

"Is that what I said?"

"You're making it up!"

"Well, I tried. Harriet, have a drink. I think you're gonna need it." He said, passing the bottle behind him.

"Pass it to the left first."

"Sorry."

"Why left?" I asked, receiving the bottle. "Politeness?"

I didn't receive an answer. Instead, I sniffed the alcohol to see how it smelt and how strong the alcohol was. And it must have been pretty strong since it burned my nose a little bit. Woof! A good 40%, I think.

"Now we can end this hunt… with a magnificent slaughter"

"I think I detected an oxymoron in that sentence..."

One of the Slitheen bent their claws threateningly as the Doctor crossed his arms and Rose suggested that we run for our lives. The Slitheen advanced, threatening.

"Fascinating history, Downing Street. Two thousand years ago, this was marsh land. 1730, it was occupied by a Mr. Chicken. He was a nice man. 1796, this was the cabinet room. If the cabinet is in session and in danger, these are about the four safest walls in the whole of Great Britain."

He pressed a hidden button near the door.

"End of lesson!"

And each entrance to the room is immediately blocked by thick metal shutters. The Doctor turned to us.

"Installed in 1991. Three inches of steel lining every single wall. They'll never get in."

"And we'll never get out." I said with a smirk.

"Ah."

I laughed softly before heading to the middle seat of the meeting table. I got myself settled and thought about the fact that I was standing in the same place as the Master in the future. A feeling of uneasiness settled in my stomach. The Doctor noticed two bodies and his face showed a sadness that I hadn't seen before.

With the bottle in my possession and being in need of a drink, I sipped the alcohol slowly. The Doctor started moving the former prime minister who turned out to be Tony Blair. It was when he moved the other body that he finally asked for his name.

"What was his name?"

"Which one?"

"This one, the secretary or whatever he was called."

Harriet goes to look.

"I don't know. I talked to him, I brought him a cup of coffee, I never asked his name."

"Indra. That's his name." I said softly.

"How do you know?" Rose asked.

I had a weary smile while drinking my drink. I swirled the liquid slowly.

" _That's what I do. I drink and I know things."_

And I took a sip before the Doctor came over and removed my glass with an air of disapproval. I took it back when he turned his back on me. What? I'm just thirsty.

"What have we got? Any terminals? Anything?"

"Nope, this place is antique. What I don't get, is when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?"

"He's too slim," he replied scanning the door. "They're big old beasts, they need to fit inside big humans."

"But the Slitheen are about what… 8 feet? How do they squeeze inside?"

"That's the device around their necks. Compression field literally shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas, it's a big exchange."

"Wish I had a compression field, I could fit a size smaller."

"Excuse me, people are dead! This is not the time for making jokes." said the woman indignantly.

"Sorry." Said Rose, who wasn't very sorry. "You get used to this stuff when you're friends with him."

I frowned. It's true it was pretty rude, I remember loving her the first time I saw Doctor Who, and when I re-watch the show with a new eye and more advanced maturity, I realized that Rose was not perfect. The most telling moments about her were when she was jealous and full of useless anger, but also when she showed no empathy when the situation required it. I have an example if you want, the episode with the werewolf. That's all I have to say. Anyway. I don't like Rose now, and especially when she makes jokes when it's not time to make them.

"Well, that's a strange friendship"

I heard the doctor mutter as he scanned the walls with his sonic device.

"Harriet Jones, I've heard that name before. Harriet Jones. You're not famous for anything, are you?"

"Me? Hardly."

"Rings a bell. Harriet Jones."

"Lifelong back bencher I'm afraid, and fat lot of use I'm being now, the protocols are redundant, they list the people who can help and they're all dead downstairs."

"Some survived, thanks to Alvia," informed the Doctor. "Without her, they would all be dead, but for the moment they're unable to help us."

"Well, thank you young girl." she smiled at me warmly.

I blushed from the attention and thanks I was given and then I became interested in the protocols with phone numbers.

"Can I read the protocols?"

"What would you do with it?"

"I like reading, and then it's always useful when two people know protocols, you never know what can happen."

She nodded and gave them to me. I flew over the pages quickly, reading the names of the people to contact. All were part of UNIT. There was no mention of Torchwood. If I remember correctly, they're out of government and maybe that's why they're not listed on the protocols. I sighed mentally, that meant I couldn't ask for help from Captain Jack Harkness. Pity.

"Hasn't it got like, defence codes and things? Couldn't we just launch a nuclear bomb at 'em?"

"Are you crazy? A nuclear bomb? Do you want to destroy the whole planet?" I exclaimed, shocked.

"You're a very violent young woman… your friend's right."

"She's not my friend. But I'm serious! We could!" She replies with a dark look.

"Yes, of course! Let's do it Rose!" I said with palpable sarcasm. "Destroy London and its surroundings and radiate land for centuries to come. Do you have any other bright ideas?"

The doctor stops scanning with his sonic to permanently remove the glass that I had in my hands and that I continued to drink. I may have been drunk.

"I think you've had enough drink for today, alcohol doesn't do you any good."

"Alcohol makes my thoughts free and honest and no one likes to hear honesty so freely - this is called hypocrisy." I breathed softly.

"Well, there is nothing like that in here. Nuclear strikes do need a release code, yes, but it's kept secret by the United Nations." The woman informed us.

The doctor turned to her to listen more carefully.

"Say that again."

"What, about the codes?"

"Anything. All of it."

"Um, well… The British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without a special resolution from the UN."

"Like that's every stopped them." commented Rose, mocking.

"Exactly!" Affirmed Harriet, gesturing. "Given our past record, and I voted against that, thank you very much. The codes have been taken out the government hands and given to the UN."

I looked at the Doctor to see that he was immersed in his thoughts, seeking clues.

"Is it important?"

"Everything's important."

"If we only knew what the Slitheen wanted. Listen to me, I'm saying "Slitheen" As if it's normal."

"What do they want, though?" Asked Rose.

"Well, it's just one family so it's not an invasion. They don't want Slitheen world… They're out to make money, which means they want to use something here on Earth… Some kind of asset."

"Like what? Gold? Oil? Water?" Enumerated Harriet.

"Or Nuclear? I read somewhere that nuclear fusion would create a sun."

"You're very good at this you two." He compliments with a smile.

"Thank you." Harriet replied with a big smile.

She seemed happy to know that she could help.

"Harriet Jones, why do I know that name?"

A notification ring sounds suddenly. It was Rose's phone.

"Oh! That's me." She said taking her phone out of her pocket.

"But we're sealed off, how did you get a signal?"

"He zapped it! Super-phone!"

"We can phone for help, you must have contacts!"

"They're all downstairs, I know another one that would help us willingly, but I don't have his number, sorry." I informed her.

It took me almost a year to get ready and I didn't even think of going to Cardiff to meet Captain Jack. Oh, what an ass am I.

"It's Mickey." The blonde tells us.

"Oh, tell your stupid boyfriend we're busy." The Doctor complained.

"Really?" I asked confused, under the effects of alcohol.

"Well, maybe not Alvia, given her condition."

"Oi! I'm drunk not deaf!"

"Yeah, he's not so stupid after all." Ignored Rose, passing her phone to the Doctor.

The phone she had was probably a Nokia 3310 from the shape of it, but since I was having trouble fixing my eyes on anything, and I don't know much about retro technology, I'll just say it's a phone that can call and send sms. Rose decided to call Mickey. As for me, I yawned with fatigue. All this running is clearly not for me - the day was long, and I had drunk alcohol without eating, so I was exhausted.

I shifted on the chair before removing my glasses and crossing my arms on the table, placing my head on them. I closed my eyes and tried to take advantage of the little heat my arms provided. I had left my jacket at Jackie's and my sweatshirt was too thin to keep warm. The room was not completely heated and then the metal insulation had cooled the room a lot. While my eyes were closed, I felt even more tired and surprised myself by dozing and waking up when I heard Jackie's voice through the speaker.

"Well, I've got a question if you don't mind. Because since that man walked into our lives, I have been attacked in the streets. I have had creatures from the pits of hell in my own living room, and my daughter disappeared off the face of the Earth."

"I told you what happened." Rose sighed.

"I'm talking to him," reprimanded her mother. "'Cause I've seen this life of yours, Doctor. And maybe you get off on it. And maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but you tell me. Just answer this, is my daughter safe? And I saw that you had Alvia with you, is she safe too?"

"Jackie," I said in an astonished breath. "You don't need to be concerned about me."

"Of course I do! You're like my second daughter!"

My throat knotted at her words, I never knew she felt like that towards me. I feel like the worst creature that exists, I only consider her as the woman who had accommodated me since she found me, even if we get along rather well. It's horrible for me to know that she sees me as her daughter when I don't consider her as a person from my own family.

"Are they safe, Doctor? Will they always be safe? Can you promise me that?"

The doctor looked up at Rose who looked at him, then he looked at me. His eyes told me of all his distress and sadness.

"He can't Jackie, no one in the whole universe can make that promise. Anything can happen, anything is possible. Look at me, I lost everything in a second and yet I was still safe!" I replied, continuing to look into the Doctor's eyes

At my words, a pleasant warmth filled the Doctor's chest. And I had the fleeting impression of tears in the Doctor's eyes. He didn't expect someone to defend him. This was the reason why this regeneration was my favourite. He was a man who found himself alone and needed companionship, joy and light to carry on in life. Because he needed someone to show him what it meant to be The Doctor again.

"We're in." Mickey said.

The doctor approached the table with long strides, telling Mickey what to do.

"Right then, on the left, there's a tab, an icon, little concentric circles. Click on that."

There was a kind of signal that repeated over and over again.

"What is it?"

"The Slitheen have got a space ship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal, now hush, let me work out what it's saying."

"He'll have to answer me one day." Intervened Jackie.

Mickey was heard saying 'hush' to Jackie.

"It's some sort of message."

"What's it say?"

"Don't know, it's on a loop, keeps repeating."

A doorbell was heard and the Doctor asked for silence.

"That's not me, Jackie go and see who that is"

"It's three o'clock in the morning!"

"Well go and tell them that."

"Jackie!" I shout. "Don't go!"

"Too late, she's already gone, why she shouldn't go?"

We heard Jackie come back quickly and tell us that the Alien was there.

"That's the reason!"

"Mickey, I need that signal."

"Never mind the signal," exclaimed Rose. "Mum just get out, get out! Get out!"

"We can't, it's by the front door," Mickey told us. "Oh, my god, it's unmasking. It's gonna kill us!"

I put on my glasses and got up from the chair to walk around the table. I bit my thumbnail as I pondered whether I should let the script unfold as it should, or whether I should intervene.

"There's got to be some way of stopping them! You're supposed to be the experts, think of something!"

We hear the Slitheen making disturbing noises and then the crash of a door breaking.

"That's my mother." Rose pleaded.

And it was a slap in the face for me, this was the woman who had taken me in and sheltered me without asking for anything in return. It was my duty to return the favour.

So I slammed my hands on the table, attracting attention.

"Ok… let's do something, Jackie go to the kitchen and look for anything that could be vinegar. It seems to me that it's in a cupboard, but I don't know which one. Rose?"

"Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf." she said quickly.

"Alvia, what are you doing?" Asked the Doctor

"Saving time. Jackie?"

"I heard!"

There was a the noise of a cupboard opening and Jackie began to recite what she was taking out of it.

"Gherkins! Pickled onions! Picked eggs!"

"You kiss that man?" The Doctors face screwed up in disgust.

"Shut up! Jackie as soon as the Slitheen comes in, you have to throw vinegar on him. And hide when it's done, alright?"

I received no response except for the sound of the door which was finally destroyed. We all heard the alien groan, a wet sound, a slamming door, a fart sound and an explosion.

"Vinegar?" The Doctor finally asked.

"They're from Raxacoricofallapatorius."

"Raxa… what?"

"Of course! Creatures made out of living calcium, but how did you know? No, actually, I know."

"Spoilers!" I laughed, winking at him.

"Is my mum safe?"

"Yes, but at the cost of a life."

"He was going to kill my mother."

"It's always murder. Kill a killer and the number of killers in the world remains unchanged." I told her softly.

We all had a drink and toasted before drinking. Except the Doctor who spat it in his glass discreetly after making a face. I laughed at him.

A few minutes later Mickey asked us on the phone to listen to what the TV had to say.

"Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads, and they have found massive weapons of destruction, capable of being deployed within 45 seconds."

We came together to listen to the Slitheen / Prime Minister's speech.

"Our technicians can baffle the alien probes, but not for long. We are facing extinction unless we strike first. The United Kingdom stands directly beneath the belly of the mother ship. I beg of the United Nations, pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes! A nuclear strike at the heart of the ship is our only chance of survival. Because… from this moment on… it is my solemn duty to inform you… planet Earth is at war."

"He's making up." The Doctor said, stepping back. "There's no weapons up there, there's no threat. He just invented it!"

"Yes, but others don't know that and are more likely to believe anything than to be rational." I said.

"That's why the Slitheen went for a spectacle. They want the whole world panicking, because you lot, you get scared, you lash out."

"They release the defence code…" Rose guessed.

"And the Slitheen go nuclear."

"But why?" Harriet asked.

The Doctor turned around and opened the metal shutters. In front of us were three Slitheen, who jumped at the door opening.

"You get the codes, release the missiles. But not into space because there's nothing there. You attack every other country on Earth, they retaliate, fight back. World War three, whole planet gets nuked."

Margaret Slitheen, still in her skin suit, approached and stood before the Doctor.

"And we can sit through it in our spaceship waiting in the Thames. Not crashed. Just parked. Barely two minutes away."

"But you'll destroy the planet, this beautiful place. What for?"

"Profit. That's what the signal is beaming into space, an advert."

"Sale of century," Margaret praised sadistically. "We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it. Piece by piece. Radioactive chucks of powering every cut-price star liner and budget cargo ship. There's a recession out there, Doctor. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel."

"At the cost of 5 billion lives."

"Bargain." she said, shrugging, indifferent.

"Then I give you a choice: leave this planet or I'll stop you."

The Slitheen burst out laughing, openly mocking us. They didn't take us seriously.

"What? You? Trapped in your box?"

"Yes. Me." He said, staring at her seriously.

Margaret laughed again. But her laughter became nervous when the Doctor continued to fix her with his stare. He closed the shutters and I just had time to see her smile disappear.

A yawn of fatigue escaped my lips. Fatigue had invaded my body. I looked at the time on my watch before noticing that I hadn't wound it up today. The hands showed 7:36 and about 30 seconds. I blinked before removing my glasses and rubbing my face with the palm of my hand. I went to the chair and sat down. For a good ten minutes I fought the urge to succumb to sleep, but the Doctor approached me and left his leather jacket on my shoulders. I watched him, surprised by the gesture. Without wanting to make a joke worthy of Tumblr posts, he looked naked without his jacket.

"Sleep a bit, you seem to be able to sleep on the spot. Take the opportunity."

I thanked him by nodding my head and wrapped myself in his jacket that smelled of leather and his smell. It was still warm, and I quickly reached the arms of Morpheus.

When I woke up, I felt better, and I didn't have a hangover. I saw that Rose and Harriet were sitting in deep sleep too. The only person who didn't sleep was the Doctor. He was pacing. I got up and I was a little grumpy when I felt my neck and spine crack and snap. I always thought people were exaggerating when they said sitting down whilst sleeping wasn't good, but now I have proof.

My grunt attracted the attention of the Doctor and I took the opportunity to return his jacket that he put back on immediately.

"How long did I sleep?" I asked softly so as to not wake the girls.

"About seven o'clock, its morning outside."

"How do you know?"

"Your series didn't show it? Time Lord senses, I can always feel how time passes."

"How does it feel?" I asked, curious.

"It's like ... there's a song in a language that only you can understand... that makes you understand the time." He said calmly, his eyes blank. "And according to the song, you understand the seconds, the minutes, the hours, the different paradoxes, the fixed points. The end and the beginning of everything."

"All that is. All that was. And all that ever could be..." I recited, remembering Bad Wolf.

"Exactly."

"It must be hard sometimes, right? I can't imagine having that power, no offence. It must drive you mad."

"Sometimes it's harder than usual, but I've had over 900 years to get used to it..." He concluded with a shrug.

I gave him a soft smile, I really thought what I said. If I had this capacity, after a few hours I would be mad. I am sure of it.

My belly groaned and I immediately blushed in embarrassment. The doctor laughed and woke Rose and Harriet a few minutes later.

"What I would do for a little food... We don't even have anything to drink, and alcohol doesn't count. Empty stomach, alcohol would do us more harm than good."

Rose's phone rang suddenly, and she picked it up so we could hear Jackie chat with Rose about her health and the current situation outside.

"Alright, Doctor. I'm not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do."

Harriet held up the alcohol.

"If we ferment the port, we could make ascetic acid."

"We don't have enough time to do it," Rose said. "Mickey, any luck?

"There's loads of emergency numbers but they're all on voicemail."

I looked at the doctor to see that he had rested against the wall, away from everyone and he was deep in thought.

"Voicemail dooms us all." The woman complained.

"If we could just get out of here…"

"There's a way out."

Rose turned to him incredulously.

"There's always been a way out."

"Then why don't we use it?"

He went to the table to talk to Jackie through the phone.

"Because I can't guarantee the safety of Alvia and Rose."

"Don't you dare! Whatever it is, don't you dare!" Shouted the mother.

"That's the thing, if I don't dare, everyone dies."

"Do it." Rose said simply.

"You don't even know what it is, you'd just let me?"

"Yeah."

He stares at her, eyes wide open. Curious about how she could think like that.

"Please, Doctor. Please! They're just kids!"

"You think I don't know that? Because this is my life, Jackie. It's not fun, it's not smart. It's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will."

"There is no decision to make, Doctor. Between the world and us the choice doesn't exist. We have no right to be selfish, sometimes we have to sacrifice something for a cause that we think is right. You know that better than anyone." I said softly, looking at him, his eyes full of compassion and understanding.

"I could save the world but lose you two." he said.

He looked at Rose and then looked for me and our silent exchange lasted a long time. His blue eyes showed all his hesitation, his sadness and his fear of being alone again, if he were to lose us.

"Except it's not your decision, Doctor." Harriet Jones suddenly intervened. "It's mine."

"And who the hell are you?" Jackie asked angrily.

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people, for the people and on behalf of the people I command you. Do it."

The Doctor displays a big smile and he leans over to pull the red briefcase from the protocols and open it. He searched the papers for something specific.

"So, how do we get out?" Asks Rose, sitting down on the table.

"We don't." He answered before turning to the phone. "Mickey, use the buffalo password, it overrides everything."

"What're you doing?" Jackie asked.

"Hacking into the Royal Navy… We're in. Here it is, H.M.S Taurean, Trafalgar Class Submarine, 10 miles off the coast of Plymouth."

"Right, we need to select a missile."

"We can't go nuclear, we don't have the defence codes".

"We don't need it, all we need is an ordinary missile. What's the first category?"

"Sub Harpoon, UGMA4A."

"That's the one. Select. Ready for this?"

"Yeah."

"Mickey the Idiot, the World is in your hands. Fire."

The only indication that Mickey had done what he had been asked to do was Jackie's whispered, "My God." We didn't move for a few seconds until Harriet moved to ask about the soundness of the walls. Knowing that they were not strong enough, Rose went to the closet and spoke of earthquakes and the solidity of the cupboard. Harriet quickly joined the blonde in removing all the stuff, and I grabbed the Doctor's hand to make him move. We helped the girls remove all the material quickly and we moved the bodies too.

"It's on radar. Counter defence 556." Mickey suddenly spoke.

"Intercept it."

"I'm doing it now. 556 neutralized."

The Doctor is in the closet, and we're all hugging and holding each other's hands. Silence settled over us until we finally heard the sound of explosions. At that moment everything went topsy turvy. We were violently shaken in every way. I banged badly on my back against something and I think I swore in French but I'm not totally sure. Then, swinging again like a ragdoll, I arrived on a hard and hot surface. It was when I felt two hearts beat that I guessed I had landed on the Doctor. He tried to tap his chest to find out what had hit him but he tapped my back, grunted in pain and he apologized grunting too. I think I will have bruises on my back soon.

We went out to see the destroyed place, in smoke. Harriet made a remark about the English manufacture of the closet and I snorted with amusement. A security guard approached and asked if we were ok. Harriet showed her his identity card.

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. I want you to contact UN immediately, tell the ambassadors the crisis is now over, and they can step down. Go on, tell the news!"

"Yes ma'am."

"Someone's got a hell of a job sorting this lot out. Oh lord! We haven't even got a Prime Minister!"

"Maybe you should have a go." The Doctor proposed.

"Me?" She says, laughing. "I'm only a back-bencher."

"I'd vote for ya," said Rose.

"Oh now, don't be silly."

We grin. I stretched out to get the pain To go away but nothing works, maybe a good shower will do the trick. Oh, I would kill for a hot shower, and some food.

"Look, I'd better go and see if I can help." she tells us as a goodbye.

She climbed over the rubble towards the crowd of people and ran to the police with her arms in the air and shouting the news.

We walked towards the house, we had no reason to hurry. When we arrived at the Estates we separated. Rose and I went back to the apartment where Jackie was waiting anxiously and the Doctor went to his Tardis. As soon as the door of the apartment was opened, Rose ran into her mother's arms but let the door close. I shrugged in pain and went to get have a shower and change clothes. As I passed the mirror in the bathroom, I looked at my shoulder and saw that the scar was almost invisible to those who weren't looking for it, but it wasn't great either.

As the hot water ran down my hair and my body, I took advantage of the feeling. I spent more time than usual underwater, at least a good hour.

I got dressed in new underwear, black pants that stopped a little above my ankles, my red converse and this time a light long-sleeved t-shirt with a short-sleeved charcoal t-shirt over it, that had horizontal coloured lines. Yes, it was clearly an outfit inspired by the Thirteenth, but apart from me, who would know?

I put my clothes with the dirty ones and put my phone in the left front pocket of my trousers. I was lucky with them, as the pockets were rather large and even if I put my phone inside, it doesn't bother me when I walk or when I sit.

I cooked a sandwich with grilled ham, fried egg, melted cheese and ketchup on toasted slices and prepared black tea with two sugars. When I had everything ready to eat, I was no longer hungry. I looked quietly into the living room to see Jackie and her daughter chatting quietly in front of the TV where Harriet was making a big speech.

I heard Rose's phone ring and Jackie came into the kitchen to get ready to cook. I had my cup of tea in my hand, and even though it had cooled a bit it didn't stop me from drinking it.

"So, what do you think of my daughter?" She asked suddenly.

I almost choked on my tea.

"Is that a trick question?"

"Don't be stupid, be honest!"

"You asked for it. I think we could have gotten along if I had not had my accident and was not therefore staying in her home. But we are just culturally different."

"What do you mean?"

"Jackie, I told you everything about me, even about the time I come from. There are a lot of things she has not lived and that are in the future, part of my past and my culture. And then we've had different lives too."

"What kinds of things?"

"Spoilers."

"Anyway, I don't think it's possible any more, she seems to have taken a dislike to me even though I haven't done anything. Sorry Jackie but we won't be friends."

Jackie sighed in understanding and accepted it reluctantly. I finished my tea and then went back to my room to read a little. I took 'The Galactic Traveler's Guide' and started reading it for the umpteenth time lying on the bed. I arrived at the end of Chapter 3 when Rose arrived in her/my room.

"What are you doing here?" She growled.

"Your mother has lent me your room since you disappeared, your clothes are on the left side of the closet."

"Good." she spat. "Pack your stuff too, the Doctor wants you to come for some reason, I don't see what he sees in you. I saved his life! What did you do, huh?!"

She really doesn't want me to be around her family and the Doctor... Maybe I should scare her a little, make her understand that she's just a human like I am... But I'm that much of a bitch to do it. I always had to ignore the superficial girls of my time in high school who were trying to humiliate me and find a way to create problems for me when their attention was on me. Which wasn't often. It's not Rose who will succeed.

So, I rolled my eyes and shrugged before returning to my books, ignoring the order to pack my bag and respond to the provocation. But she didn't stop there because she picked up my book and threw it somewhere in the room before folding her arms and looking at me haughtily.

"I'm waiting."

Ok, she really wanted it. I don't really think about what I'm going to say but I want her to leave me alone.

"You think you're so important, don't you?" I laughed darkly. "Why do you think he wants me to come? I know everything about him, Rose, everything. Where he comes from, what he's going through, what he's going to live and how he's going to die."

"That's impossible." she denied.

"And how would you know, mmm? Time Travel, it seems to me that you've experienced it, right? Not as much as the Doctor, of course."

"You come from his future."

"It's up to me to know something and to you, to know what you ignore…"

She pulled back sharply as if I had slapped her. She was about to do or say something when Jackie arrived with two cups in her hands. One for her and one for Rose. Rose returned to her previous activity, which is, putting her clothes in a bag.

"I was wondering whether he drinks or not."

"He doesn't." I answered before Rose could.

Rose glared at me, which I easily ignored, and her mother didn't see. Jackie looked at her daughter, pleading to her not to leave. The only answer she got from her daughter was silence.

"Jackie... I have to go to ..."

"Not you too. Please don't go."

I hugged Jackie.

"Unlike Rose, I don't have a choice. But that doesn't mean I won't be coming back, Jackie. You are the one who accepted me under his roof and who gave me a house when I didn't have one any more. You're important to me and that's the only reason I would consider here as my new home." I whispered in her ear.

I stepped back to smile tenderly before turning around and grabbing under the bed a backpack that I had bought this year to get rid of my suitcase. I put in clothes and my leather jacket into by back (that I folded unlike Rose who threw them into a ball).

Rose put some trinkets and a picture into her bag. I put some books and a blank sketchbook and my pencil case. I had to wait five minutes before Rose left the room with her bag almost finished, so I could put my computer, chargers and headphones in. I also put the little makeup I had, some jewels I had from my old world and my TARDIS wallet that contained my old and new identity papers.

I had managed to get help from Jackie and Jack without my noticing that I had a visa, a bank account, an identity card with English and French nationality and a passport. Why Jack's help? Because when I asked to create a bank account, I was pleasantly surprised to know that I already had one in my name and that it was created by a certain Jack Harkness. He also helped me create a birth certificate and proof of residence saying that it was at least 5 years since I lived in England. For the creation of an identity card it was simple, I just had to say that I had lost mine and I had to fill a declaration of loss of identity and the identity sheet.

When I meet young or old Jack, I'll give him a huge hug. It seems out of character for me, but I have every reason to thank him. I had thought that it would be impossible to exist in this world, but I was wrong. I had help from someone who cared about me.

I took my long beige coat that looks like the tenth doctors to put it on. I was extremely grateful when I found it at Emmaus, you know. I then took my bag on my right shoulder despite its weight and left the apartment.

Night had fallen and everyone was in front of the Tardis. I felt like I was late. I saw Rose throwing her bag into the Doctor's arms and in a few seconds, I finally joined everyone.

"You still can't promise me." Jackie said to the Doctor. "What if they get lost? What if something happens to you, Doctor, and they're left all alone standing on some moon a million light years away. How long do I wait then?"

The doctor is holding the pink bag, having no real answer for Jackie. But Rose came to his aid reassuring her mother. She gave her a hug. The Doctor entered the TARDIS and Rose followed in turn. I turned to Jackie.

"It may be a time machine but given her driver I don't really expect to be back on time," I joked making her smile. "Even after time has passed, we will always come back."

I shook hands with them and went back to the Tardis, which dematerialized immediately. The Doctor told us to look for our rooms in the hallway down below and to drop our things in them quickly so we could join him. We had a plasma storm in the horse head nebula to see.


	4. Dalek

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! New chapter, a big one !
> 
> What's funny about this episode is that I love it, but writing it has been a bit of an ordeal. But taking on me, I continued, without giving up and here it is!
> 
> On another subject, which has nothing to do with this story. I saw Episode 3 of Season 8 of Game of Thrones. No spoil for those who have not seen it yet (but what are you waiting for ?!), but it was so intense.
> 
> Another note, I still haven't seen Endgame. My father is waiting for the rooms to empty a bit, despite the fact that I'm groaning and my mother too. (and unfortunately I don't have enough money to go see him alone in 4DX )
> 
> Anyway, enjoy your reading and see you newt time !

The Doctor didn't lie to us. The plasma storm in the horse head nebula was so beautiful that I can't even describe it. The nebula was in itself beautiful too. Superimposed on the deep blackness of the emptiness of space was the immense, imposing, and small object.

While I was at the doors of the TARDIS, open to space, my eyes were impressed by the beauty that I would never have seen besides in photographs and documentaries.

The pink, red cherry colour blended perfectly with the deep bluish black of space and blended in some places to give birth to a purple colour that Kilgrave would certainly have appreciated. The nebula was of course dotted with white stars of varying sizes and distance.

As I was enjoying the view, a signal rang out in the Tardis and my attention turned to the console where the Doctor was leaning over the computer screen. Rose was showering.

"Shut the doors Alvia, we're going somewhere."

"What's going on?" I asked as I reluctantly closed the doors.

Rose suddenly arrived in the room and the Doctor led the Tardis to an unknown destination. It was when I finally heard the Tardis' wheezing that I headed for my long coat to put it on. We went out only for Rose to immediately begin asking questions.

"So, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Don't Know, some kind of signal drawing the TARDIS off course…"

"Where are we?"

"Earth, Utah, North America. About half a mile underground"

At the Doctor's words I froze on the spot. There are only two times that the Doctor finds himself in Utah and once in this regeneration. I thought I had a little more time before facing a Dalek.

"And… when are we?"

"2012," I answered before the Doctor. "Besides if we could turn around, I would not argue."

"Why would we do that?" He asks with a frown.

"Because you will not like what you find here."

"What's here?" Asks Rose, confused.

"The stuff of nightmares. The worst thing ever, you really don't want to be here, Doctor."

I tried, but I failed to convince him.

"It can't be that bad," he said sceptically.

He suddenly turned on the light and they could see it was a kind of museum.

"Blimey! It's a great big museum!"

"An alien museum. Someone's got a hobby. They must've spent a fortune on this."

They moved to observe what was behind glass. I raised my arms angrily, muttering my sudden understanding of Ten's frustration at not being listened to.

"It's a Slitheen's arm! It's been stuffed, oh my god!"

The Doctor noticed the cyberman head. I looked at the suspicious head, although I knew this thing couldn't hurt anyone anymore.

"Oh! Look at you!"

"What is it?"

"An old friend of mine… well, enemy. The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old."

"Is that where the signal's coming from? Alvia had said that..."

"Nah, it's stone dead. The signal's alive. Something's reaching out, calling for help."

Rose suddenly turned to me.

"And you wanted us to let someone call for help go unheard?" She said venomously. "You're a horrible girl. "

I stared darkly at Rose, not trying to find an excuse. Suddenly, in my peripheral vision I noticed the Doctor's arm touching the glass. A loud alarm sounded, and not even a minute later, we were surrounded by about twenty soldiers pointing their guns at us. Again.

"If someone's collecting aliens, that makes you Exhibit A." said Rose.

"Nice Rose! Why don't you shout it out, while you're here?" I hissed quickly.

"I have no comments to make to you!"

The doctor whispered to us to shut up and smiled at the soldiers, as if our argument hadn't taken place. But the soldiers didn't care, because they took us all in pairs, holding our shoulders firmly, painfully actually. Rose began to moan a little pathetically, trying to be released and the Doctor frowned.

As the soldiers took us to Van Statten's office, I began to think about the events of the future. Either I went with the Doctor and meet the Dalek quickly and I'm in shit. Or I stay with Rose and I go to see what was apparently flirting with Adam. You know one of the characters we don't talk about. Like the episode with Clom's Alien. Yes, that one. Besides, I don't even remember what he's talking about, just that between Whovians we don't talk about it. It's like Jar Jar Binks, we know it exists, unfortunately, and we prefer to forget it. Anyway, if I'm with Rose, she will show compassion to the Dalek and it will escape and kill. In any case, I'll have to run.

Honestly, I don't know what the worst situation for me is. I hate running and I don't know how to run. The 1500 meters in sport? I spit my lungs on the ground from the first turn, so run for my life when I have a Dalek on my ass? Daleks kill with a laser beam worthy of an Avada Kedavra, meh… let me do my testament right away and my epitaph too. I'm going to have to face the Dalek and I'm not sure I'm going to come out alive... maybe my story will end today.

It's sad, because my parents will never know what happened to me, I'll never see Avengers Endgame, nor the end of Game of Thrones.

We finally arrived to see the stupidest character of this episode ask the nature of the object he held in his hands. The musical instrument. Just to make fun of them I would tell them that it's a sex toy or a weapon that activates in the most ridiculous ways.

But as I don't have the courage to do it, and because the Doctor does his job well, which is to belittle people more stupid and arrogant than him, I could enjoy the show in front of me.

"I really wouldn't hold it like that."

"Shut it!" Snapped the red-haired woman with curly hair.

What was she called? I've always had trouble with the name. It was a name that began with a G...

"Really, though, that's wrong."

"Is it dangerous?"

"No. Just looks silly."

The doctor wanted to move forward to take the object and the guards engaged their weapons before being stopped by their boss, who made a gesture of the fingers. Van Statten stood up to pass it to the doctor who took it gently.

"You just need to be… delicate…" he said, gently passing his fingers over the musical artefact.

The sound that came out reminded me of that of the harmonica, but purer, more crystalline. I wonder what planet it comes from. I made a mental note to ask him later. Imagine if the concerts were as beautiful as this melody, like the Elven songs of the Lord of the Rings.

As he continued to play, everyone looked impressed except the woman who was still playing her best poker face.

"It's a musical instrument"

Thank you Captain Obvious.

"And it's a long way from home."

The American stood up and took the artefact from the Doctor's hands. The doctor raised his eyebrows, not impressed.

"I did say delicate. Reacts to the smallest fingerprint." Van Statten played the instrument and his first notes were catastrophic. To me, someone who enjoys good music, it was like listening to someone who is playing the violin for the first time. Horrible for the ears. But after a few notes, the instrument released acceptable notes. The doctor smiles.

"Very good. Quite the expert."

"As are you."

In a second, he threw the musical instrument aside as I would throw a used tissue in a garbage can: without any consideration. Shame on him.

"Who exactly are you?"

The Doctor's expression suddenly became serious.

"I'm the Doctor. And you are?"

"Like you don't know. We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artefacts in the world and you just stumbled in by mistake."

"Pretty much sums me up, yeah."

"The story of his life..." I whispered quietly to myself. "Could even be the title of his biography along with 'Doctor Who'."

Van Statten moved to stand in front to the Doctor.

"The question is, how did you get in?"

_How did we get in? in-tru-da window! Oh, good old Ten._

"53 floors down. With your little cat and fox burglar accomplices." he said, looking at Rose and me, with an appreciative air. "Quite a collector yourself, they're rather pretty, although I have a preference for redheads."

"The redhead says fuck you!" I hissed. Asshole…

"Oh, she's fiery, I like her even more." He said pointing at me. "Maybe I should keep you too?"

"Oi! Leave her alone, pervert!" Intervened Rose with a disgusted air.

Glad to know that there is, between us, a girl solidarity against harassment. Fortunately, she intervened, I think I would have tried to hit that jerk. And considering my size the punch would not have succeeded and my only chance was to hit the crotch with a good shot of knee or shin well placed. And still, not sure of being able to reach him without being thrown to the ground by his armed guards. Meh, too bad.

"She's English too!" He exclaims before turning to the youngest. "Hey, little Lord Fauntleroy, got you a girlfriend."

"This is Mr. Henry Van Statten."

"And who's he when he's at home?" Asked Rose.

"Mr Van Statten owns the Internet."

"She asked who he was, not what he has. And nobody owns the internet, they would have to control all the DNS and would have to be in possession of 7 keys which are in the care of 14 people. I strongly doubt that he has one."

Van Statten glared at me, and Adam's mouth was open. Not so smart huh? I heard an amused snort from the Doctor, and I could not stop the sneer of victory on my lips as I placed hands in the front pockets of my pants.

"So you're an expert on just about everything except for your collection. Anything you don't understand, you lock up."

"And you claim greater knowledge?"

"I don't need to make claims; I know how good I am."

"And yet, I captured you. Right next to the Cage. What were you doing down there?

"You tell me."

"The Cage contains my one living specimen."

Who would be much better off dead, if you want my opinion.

"And what's that?"

"Like you don't know."

"Show me."

"You wanna see it?"

The two men were staring at each other like dogs trying to dominate each other. Which was a bit the situation.

"You don't want to measure it, as long as you're there? God, it looks like a parody of fighting on manhood."

"We can smell the testosterone." mocks Rose.

"Goddard! Inform the Cage. We're heading down."

The woman nodded before heading to the elevator.

"You, English! Look after the blond. Canoodle or spoon, or whatever it is you British do. And foxy and Doctor with no name. Come and see my pet."

No. absolutely not. No. Nope. Niet. Nein. No, god please no. No way do I want to see the Dalek. I'd rather die right now. And you, Doctor! Traitor, let go of my shoulder! I don't want to go… NOOOOO! Let me go back to the TARDIS pleaaase!

I was pushed in the elevator anyway. Without my explicit consent.

"I do not want to go." I growled softly.

The Doctor pushed his elbow into my ribs to silence me. I raised my head to glare at him. And he laughed, bâtard.

"You're not as talkative as before, little fox. Maybe I could make you talk if you let me. "

Wait... is he...? Really?! Eurk no!

"Va te faire foutre!"

"Alvia, Language!"

"Protect my virtue instead of correcting my language, it's out of the question that I stay more than a second with this narcissistic pervert!" I snapped, pointing at him sharply.

Van Statten burst out laughing, as if what I said was just a joke in his eyes. Suddenly the door opened, and I don't know if I should be happy to have space between him and me, or terrified that I'm going to be seeing a Dalek.

"We've tried everything. The creature has… shielded itself but there's definite signs of life inside." He informs us by pressing the buttons on the wall.

"Inside? Inside what?"

The metal door opened and a man came out. Completely dressed in orange. The man took off his mask and welcomed his boss. His wicked look didn't come back to me. A real air of sadism, worse than the Master.

"Welcome back, sir. I've had to take the power down, the metaltron is resting."

"Metaltron?"

"Thought of it myself. Good, isn't it? Although I'd much to prefer to find out its real name."

"Don't worry," I hissed softly without being heard. "You will quickly know it."

The orange man took off his gloves and offered them to the Doctor, saying that the last one who had touched him had caught fire. The doctor refused with his usual nerve.

"I won't touch it then."

I sniffed and I think I saw a guard and the woman have an amused grin.

"Go ahead. Impress me."

The Doctor took my hand and pulled me with him inside the cage. The cage closed behind us. I'm scared. A blue light came from the other side and my heart skipped a beat. I felt my breath speed up and I pushed back as far as possible from the Dalek. On the way my back hit a table which held objects of torture. I gripped the corner of the table and whistled the sharp pain that suddenly appeared in my hand before quickly disappearing. And in a few steps, I reached the cold concrete wall.

"Look, I'm sorry about all of this. Van Statten might think he's clever, but never mind him. I've come to help. I'm the Doctor."

"DOC…TOR…?"

I inhaled suddenly and my body froze immediately. It was the same voice used in the series.

" _THE_  – DOCTOR?"

I saw the Doctor's eyes wide with horror, his mouth open. The lights came on suddenly, letting us see the Dalek in bad shape, chained.

"EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINAAATE!"

The Doctor ran to the door and hit it, making it vibrate, pleading to open the door.

"Let me out!"

"YOU ARE AN ENEMY OF THE DA–LEKS! YOU MUST BE DESTRO–YED!"

He waved his weapon to kill us. His famous weapon that kills in one fell swoop, like the spell of death. But it did not work, he waved it in the air. The Doctor immediately stopped looking terrified and his face split into a huge smile.

"It's not working!" He said before laughing with relief.

His laughter seemed so false in my ears. He seemed manic.

The Dalek lowered his eyepiece to observe his useless weapon for a moment.

"Fantastic!" The Doctor gleefully laughed. "Oh, fantastic! Powerless! Look at you. The Great Space Dustbin. How does it feel?"

He rushed to the Dalek, looking it straight in the eye. I remained with my back against the wall. Trying to make myself invisible. I grabbed the inside of my long coat and squeezed it firmly in my fists. So hard that my knuckles pulled a little and turned white. I swallowed at the scene in front of me. I had neither the courage nor the desire to intervene between these two. And yet I dreamed of running away with the Doctor, far from the Dalek, leaving it to its fate.

The Dalek backed away, ordering the Doctor to stay away from it. It was also struggling against its chains. The Doctor was now a few inches from the metal nightmare.

"What for? What're you going to do to me? If you can't kill… Then what are you good for, Dalek? What's the point of you?"

He circled the Dalek, and it followed him with its eyepiece.

"You're nothing. What the hell are you here for?"

"I AM WAITING FOR OR–DERS."

"What does that mean?" Asked the Doctor darkly.

"He's a soldier."

Both turned to me. Honestly the words escaped from my mouth. The Dalek knew that I was with the doctor. It was useless to stay in hiding without doing anything now. So, I swallowed before joining in the conversation despite myself.

"He was raised to receive orders."

"YOU KNOW MY SPE–CIES? BUT YOU ARE ONLY HU–MAN."

"Anyway, you won't get orders anymore. Never again."

"I DEM–AND OR–DERS!"

"Your race is dead!" The Doctor suddenly shouted. "You all burnt, all of you. A million ships on fire, the entire Dalek race wiped out in one second."

"YOU LI–E!"

"I watched it happen. I MADE it happen!"

"YOU DESTROYED U–S?"

The Doctor's shoulders slumped as if the weight of the universe on his shoulders had tripled. He turned to me with his eyes closed in pain and regret before opening them and looking into mine.

"I had no choice." He said softly.

"AND WHAT OF THE TIME LO–RDS?"

"Dead. They burnt with you. The end of the last great Time War… Everyone lost…"

"AND THE COWARD SURVI–VED." The Dalek provoked.

"Oh, and I caught your little signal…" He said mockingly. "'Help me…' poor little thing."

"There's no need to provoke him Doctor." I gently pleaded.

"But there's no one else coming." He said in his normal tone, ignoring what I had just said. "'Cos there's no one else left."

The Dalek lowered its eyepiece, as if it was lowering its gaze out of sorrow.

"I AM ALONE IN THE UNIVE–RSE…"

The Doctor smiled mildly.

"Yup!"

"SO ARE YO–U… WE ARE THE SA–ME…"

The doctor's smile vanished immediately, and I saw the corner of his lips tremble with fury and his blue eyes go cold. He turned immediately to face the Dalek, angry.

"We're not the same! I'm not… No, wait. Maybe we are. You're right, yeah, okay. You've got a point. 'Cos I know what to do, I know what should happen. I know what you deserve."

He walked to the console with buttons and levers with a smile that was totally false.

"Exterminate!"

He pulled on a lever that was at the control panel and the Dalek was immediately engulfed by electricity. I jumped at hearing the Dalek scream in pain. It asked for pity.

"DOCTOR! Stop this now! It may deserve it, but this is not you!"

He turned towards me.

"You're totally wrong for once Alvia, because it's totally me, this has never been truer."

"Really? And what has become of the promise you made yourself by choosing the name 'The Doctor'?" I asked with a courage that was unknown to me. "What has become of this promise never to be cruel and never to be cowardly? Because that's not what I see right now. It is a man who tortures his weak enemy in the worst of ways who is cruel and cowardly!"

Hearing the promise that had been made previously had an impact but I did not have time to see it because the soldiers of Van Statten caught the Doctor and cut off the flow of electricity to the Dalek. The man in question arrived and ordered the Dalek to speak, in vain.

I left the wall to run back to the Doctor, who shouted to Van Statten that it was necessary to put it out of harm's way. The doctor was still struggling, and he had to have a guard notch a right hand in his jaw to calm down. At the shock of the blow, the doctor widened his eyes and stopped dead, the guards took the opportunity to push him into the elevator. Worried about the Doctor's jaw, I approached until our bodies were close and I lifted my right hand to put it gently on his jaw which flinched slightly. He took my hand in his and took it off his jaw.

"You knew..." He murmured softly. "You knew and I didn't listen..."

"It's okay, Doctor... you would have ended up discovering it anyway. How's your jaw?"

"Bearable…"

Van Statten and his assistant arrive a few minutes later and question the Doctor about the Dalek.

"The Metal's just battle armour. The real Dalek creature's inside."

"What does it look like?"

"Sort of octopus but more disgusting." I replied.

"A nightmare," agreed the Doctor. "It's a mutation. The Dalek race was genetically engineered, every single emotion was removed except hate.

"Genetically engineered…" repeated Van Statten impressed. "By whom?"

"By a genius, Van Statten. By a man who was king of his own little world, you'd like him."

On the other hand, I'm not sure Davros would have liked him in return. Not sure Davros would have appreciated him torturing one of his 'children'.

"It's been on Earth for over fifty years, sold at private auction passing from collection to collection. Its never reacted before, so why would it be a threat now?" Goddard intervenes.

"As soon as the Doctor showed up, the Dalek spoke and wanted to kill him immediately. I think that's more than enough proof, right?" I retorted.

"But what I want to know is how did it get to Earth? Does anyone know?"

"Records say it came from the sky like a meteorite. It fell to Earth one the Ascension Islands, burnt in its crater for almost three days, keeping from anyone from approaching him. And for all that time it was screaming. It must've gone insane."

"Must've fallen through Time. The only survivor."

"You talked about a war?"

"The Time War. The final battle between my people and the Dalek race."

"But you survived too…" said Van Statten, raising his eyes 'innocently' in the air.

"Not by choice."

If I remember correctly, it was the punishment he should have had if Gallifrey had really been destroyed by the Moment. The punishment for using the Moment. But since he never destroyed it his memories had to be altering. I know he doesn't remember saving his planet, but how much does he remember of the last day of the war? How much have his memories been altered?

"This means that the Dalek isn't the only alien on Earth, Doctor. There's you. The only one of your kind who's still alive"

The elevator finally stopped to open to show a dark room like that of the Dalek's. Van Statten snapped his fingers and the guards caught the Doctor struggling.

"Let me go!"

"No way, prepare the scan!"

I was helpless. Totally helpless. While the scientists prepared a machine that looked more like a cannon than anything else, Van Statten asked the doctor to remove his top. The Doctor refused, of course. Van Statten smiled badly. He grabbed me by the collar and pulled me towards his body.

"I think you should take off your clothes, I could 'accidentally' hurt her if you don't do it."

"And I will 'accidentally' hit you where it hurts if you don't let me go and if you don't leave the Doctor alone, fils de pute!" I exclaimed.

Van Statten hits me in the stomach and I gasped. I fell to the ground holding my stomach while I gasped in pain. Fuck, he wasn't kidding, it hurts like hell. Van Statten approached and passed his foot under my body before quickly raising it and slamming it back into my stomach. This time I screamed.

"Maybe I should keep her too, I'd love to make her scream. Her cries are rather endearing."

I got up, ignoring the pain as much as possible, to hit Van Statten but he lifted his weight and swung it toward my face. I felt the pain pouring over my left cheek and I think my eyebrow split open because of my glasses and the wall that I hit. Everything that happened afterwards was really vague. Not because of the loss of my glasses no, I am astigmatic I can see without; but it was because of the fist blow and the wall.

Everything had become vague then black. I just felt something grab my arms and drag me somewhere before I lost consciousness.

 

* * *

To say that the Doctor was shocked was an understatement. As he watched Alvia gasp at the blow she received from Van Statten, he felt the rage build in him, almost as much as when he saw the surviving Dalek. He watched without reacting, Alvia being hit by this man until she falls; her glasses had flown across the room when she received a right hook in the face. Van Statten took one of his gun's guards, removed the security and pointed it at Alvia.

"Last warning, drop the shirt, or she won't emerge unscathed."

The Doctor swallowed before removing his leather jacket and green top. Van Statten smiled and handed the weapon back to the guard.

"You see, when you obey, nothing bad happens. Take her away! Put her in another room, I'm rather curious about her too, after all, she knew about the Dalek."

One of the guards threw Alvia on his shoulder, moving her as if she were just a worthless bag and went to the elevator and took her to another floor in a room identical to that of the Doctor and Dalek. The Doctor wanted to protest, to rebel and to prevent any experimentation/torture on the girl he had taken as a companion. But any action against Van Statten or attempted liberty would result in more pain for Alvia.

The guards quickly came back and joined his colleague to grab the Doctor and take him to an iron stand. He was chained, arms in the air. The lights came on illuminating and blinding the Doctor. Van Statten went to the torture instrument and turned it on.

"Now, smile!"

The machine performed a kind of sweep on the Doctor's chest. The sweep was painful and the Doctor couldn't even scream the pain was strong. On a screen, you could see a ribcage with two beating hearts.

"Two hearts! Binary vascular system! Oh, I am so going to patent this."

"So that's your secret. You don't just collect this stuff, you scavenge it."

"All this technology has been on Earth for centuries. All we needed was the good spirit to be able to use it properly. Oh, and all the progress I've been able to make with this alien junk, you have no idea, Doctor. Broadband? Roswell. Just last year my scientist cultivated bacteria from the Russian Crater, and do you know what they found?"

The Doctor looks at him, his eyes showing all his anger but also his curiosity.

"The cure for the common cold. Kept it strictly within the laboratory of course, no need to get people excited. Why sell one cure when I can sell a thousand palliatives?" Van Statten smiled smugly.

"Do you know what a Dalek is, Van Statten? A Dalek is honest. It does what it was born to do, for the survival of its species, that creature in your dungeon is better than you."

"In that case, I will be true to myself and continue."

He went back to the scanner and the Doctor stirred frantically.

"Listen to me, that thing downstairs is going to kill every last one of us!"

"Nothing can escape the Cage."

He turned on the machine, causing the Doctor to twist with pain.

"But it's woken up! It knows I'm here! It's gonna get out! Van Statten, I swear no one on this base is safe! No one on this planet!"

But Van Statten didn't listen and continued his torture in search of novelty to patent. The Doctor groaned in pain and threw back his head, clenching his teeth.

The torture continued for about twenty minutes before the whole base heard through the speakers:

"Condition red! Repeat, condition red! This is not a drill!"

The Doctor looked up, exhausted, sweating with pain. He glared at his torturer before announcing to him.

"Release me if you want to live."

 

* * *

I woke up to the sound of a man talking through a speaker. The ground beneath me was cold and I was trying to remember the latest events. I grimaced feeling a dull ache on the side of my face and I hissed in pain when I barely grazed it with my hand. My fingers were covered with a little blood and I saw in the reflection of a screen a stream of blood running down my face, starting from my eyebrow.

Van Statten was a bastard. A bastard with money but a bastard anyway.

I looked around, trying to recognize the environment. Shit, where was I? I got up and headed for a door. This door opened into an empty corridor. Ok, this was clearly not planned. And I have absolutely no sense of direction. I listened for the slightest sound that could tell me the presence of life. I saw the lights sizzle before disappearing. I was in the dark now, I remembered it was when the Dalek was recovering all its energy and was now free. Some lights came on but it was the alarms. There was no help for me to go somewhere else.

So, I took out my phone and sighed mentally in relief at seeing that I had barely lost any battery. 99%. I activated the torch on my phone and left quickly but silently to the left. I suddenly heard gunshots and howls and I didn't hesitate to sprint to the source of noise. The closer I got to the shots, the more they decreased. The Dalek was close. I finally found the stairs and I heard people talking and then shots before a scream. My level showed the number 55.

"Damn, I'm below the Dalek! I'll have to climb before the Dalek arrives."

I turned off the lamp and put my phone in one of my coat pockets. Then, I climbed the stairs as fast as I could until I stopped seeing the Dalek. I was filled with fear and I stopped hoping it wouldn't spot me. The Dalek continued to climb to floor 52. It followed Rose and I followed it. I saw it take a corridor and arrive in a big room and stop to observe something. I stayed in the hallway before hearing gunshots again. I remembered this scene; I could not hold back my tears. There would be no survivors. I heard the screams of agony of all these people, dead.

As I tried not to cry openly and let out my sobs, I heard the Dalek speak.

"I SHALL SPEAK ON–LY TO THE DOCTO–R!"

I wiped my tears and sniffed a little, before leaning forward slightly without the Dalek seeing me. To my surprise I heard the doctor's voice.

"You gonna get rusty."

"I FED OFF THE DNA OF ROSE TY–LER. EXTRAPOLATING THE BIOMASS OF A TI–ME TRAVELER REGENERATED ME."

"What's your next trick then?"

"I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR THE DA–LEKS."

"Yeah, I saw. Downloading the Internet, what did you find?"

"I SCANNED YOUR SATELLITES AND RADIO TELESCOPES."

"And?"

"NO–THING… WHERE SHALL I GET MY ORDERS NO–W?"

The Dalek's voice sounded desperate.

"You're just a soldier without commands."

"THEN I SHALL FOLLAW THE PRI–MARY OR–DER, THE DA–LEK INSTINCT TO DESTROY–! TO CONQUE–R!"

"What for? What's the point? Don't you see that everything is gone? Everything you were, everything you stood for."

"THEN WHAT SHOULD I DO?"

"All right then. If you want orders… follow this one: kill yourself." The Doctor ordered coldly.

"THE DA–LEKS MUST SURVI–VE!" The Dalek quickly replied.

"The Daleks have failed! Why don't you finish the job and make the daleks extinct? Rid the Universe of your filth, why don't you just die?!" The Doctor yelled.

I closed my eyes with sorrow. That the Doctor ordered that was against everything that made the Doctor. I remember that scene shocked me the first time. That hatred that was deep inside him and that will never go away, this darkness due to the Time War. Everyone was affected, him more than anyone.

"YOU WOULD MAKE A GOOD DA–LEK."

Was it bad of me to remember what Rusty had said to the 12th? That he was a good Dalek. Because I feel guilty. And because I know that all the Doctor wants is to be a good man. A doctor.

The Dalek floated away, and I waited a few seconds before following it, getting wet whilst passing through the large room. I had a wave of nausea when I saw all these bodies. I saw a device on the floor, and I squatted, dipping my coat in the water. I prayed for it to work. To my delight it did. I had looked for a way to communicate while following the Dalek discreetly and I finally found one.

"Doctor, Doctor!"

"Alvia! Where are you? I have to close the vaults at level 46!"

"I know. I woke up at level 55. And I have bad news. I'm right behind the Dalek. Everyone is dead here..." I said softly

I heard the doctor's breathing cut.

"Alvia…"

"I screwed up, I totally screwed up, I'm sorry doctor..."

"It's my fault Alvia, not yours. I should have listened to you..."

"Don't worry about me, there is always Rose to save, she is important for the future and sorry for that spoiler. But life is like that, you can say that everyone is important, some are more than others. Rose is the perfect example."

The connection went off, and I saw that the device was out of battery. I sighed with spite and dropped the object on the ground. All I had said to the Doctor was true, after all it was Rose who would be Bad Wolf, she is the one who will warn Donna and the Doctor that the stars went out. She is the one who will end her life with a metacrisis of the Doctor.

I'm just an 18-year-old girl who has disappeared from her world and whose story is almost worthy of a fanfiction. I'm lazy, I couldn't finish my studies, I have an interest in a boy that I will never see again and I'm not important at all. There are 7 billion people on Earth after all, I have known someone who used to compare us to stars, we can't all shine the same way. Some shine more than others.

I finally reached level 46, the Dalek is right in front of me and unfortunately, I cannot hide anymore. I hope the Dalek never turns around and notices me.

While in the series, Rose doesn't reach the vaults and remains on the wrong side, the universe decided to take another path. This time it's me and only me, who is stuck here with the Dalek. I should turn around.

I closed my eyes and swallowed painfully.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HE–RE?"

I jumped in fear as I opened my eyes, the Dalek turned around and saw me. Oh, what a moron am I. Stay here, without hiding.

Here was my end. Killed by a Dalek, at 18 years old. I looked the Dalek right in its eye, I had to die looking at my killer. It's as brave as I can get.

"EXTERMINATE!"

A ray shot out of his gun and missed me. Wait... missed me?

"You missed me; you didn't miss anyone before."

"I AM A–RMED. I WILL KILL. IT IS MY PU–RPOSE."

"Yeah, I think I understood that from the beginning. What are you waiting for?

"I FEEL YOUR FE–AR."

"No shit Sherlock!" I snapped. "You are a creature who kills without mercy, without pity and without remorse. I think anyone with a survival instinct would be scared of you."

"AND YET YOU ARE HE–RE. I FEEL YOUR FE–AR BUT DA–LEKS DO NOT FE–AR. MUST NOT FE–AR."

He shot again, on my other side and still missed me, then he shot at the walls. He seemed frightened and hysterical. Seemed, because in fact, he was shaking, shooting everywhere except me and his voice seemed more acute than normal.

"ROSE TY–LER GIVES ME LIFE. WHAT ELSE HAVE SHE GIV–EN TO ME? I AM CONTAMINA–TED!"

Rose touched the Dalek, giving it some of her DNA and humanity. The Dalek was evolving, becoming something new. The worst thing that could happen to it.

"APPRO–ACH AND TURN TO THE CAME–RA!"

I did what I was ordered and as soon as I turned, I felt its piston against my back between my shoulder blades. Suffice to say that I was not comfortable at all.

"OPEN THE BULKHEAD OR ALVI–A DI–ES!"

A screen appeared in the air and I could see the Doctor panting suddenly, happy and relieved to see me alive and behind him Van Statten, Goddard and Adam were shocked while Rose was confused to see me. Did she really think that I would have been dead, in fact what was she thinking about doing that face?

"You're alive!" He said.

"Yeah, it would take more than a Dalek for me to disappear."

It would take a Dalek who doesn't question his existence to kill me.

"I thought you were dead."

Nice.

"OPEN THE BULKHEAD." repeated the Dalek.

"I forbid you to open this fucking door!" I cried to the Doctor.

"WHAT USE ARE EMO–TIONS IF YOU WILL NOT SA–VE THE WOMAN YOU LO–VE?" Asked the Dalek before cutting off the connection.

I frowned at his declaration.

"He doesn't love me, we've just met." I mentioned to Dalek as if I was talking about the weather.

The Dalek doesn't even bother to answer me. In fact, I did not really expect an answer, what exactly would he say, huh? Because a Dalek who talks about emotions as an expert is as weird and improbable as a Slitheen wearing a pink tutu and who is seen as a beauty on Earth.

The partition opened and the Dalek rested his piston on my back to move me forward. I stumbled, avoiding a fall and in about ten minutes we reached the elevator.

I pressed the button for the floor of Van Statten's office. The atmosphere is extremely tense, I saw that the piston of the Dalek moved quickly, alert.

"You didn't kill me," I began. "So, you can't kill them."

It turned its eyepiece to look at me and I had to step back to avoid it hitting me.

"WHY NOT? WHY ARE YOU STILL ALI–VE? MY FUNCTION IS TO KILL. WHAT AM I? WHAT AM I?"

It wondered about its very existence. If I had been more compassionate to the Dalek, I would have let excuses escape from my lips, but I was not.

I began to look at the number of floors, counting them stressfully. It was when we had almost reached level 1 that I managed to regain the courage that I didn't know I possessed.

The doors opened onto the floor and only the doctor and Adam were missing.

"Don't do anything, It wonders about its own existence!"

"VAN STATTEN," spoke the Dalek, advancing towards the man. "YOU TORTURED ME, WH–Y?"

"I wanted to help you…" he stammered, recoiling. "I just… I don't know, I, I was trying to help. I thought if we could get through to you, if we could mend you… I wanted you better, I'm sorry."

The Dalek continues to advance as the man leans against a wall and his voice increases in a tone, clearly panicked.

"I'm so sorry! I swear! I just wanted you to talk!"

"THEN HEAR ME TALK NO–W. EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINA–TE!"

The Dalek stopped and turned his eyepiece towards me.

"YOU DO NOT STOP M–E?"

"I would even encourage you if there wasn't an audience." I replied, crossing my arms. "This pathetic excuse of man is a complete bastard who deserves his fate. Who knows what other creatures he would have tortured just to hear them speak? But I guess if you can't kill, there must be something else you want? Think about it."

He looked at Van Statten before coming back to me

"I WANT… FREEDOM." he said softly.

"Well..." I announced reluctantly. "You can have it now. I have absolutely no power to stop you."

The Dalek said my words as I went down the halls. I stopped the Dalek by calling it. I wanted to do something to Van Statten before leaving.

"Just wait a minute!"

It turned to look at me. All of them were watching me. So, I sprinted to Van Statten, sending my right fist to his nose. It broke under my hand and he held his nose, pouring blood. I hadn't finished with him; I sent my foot directly into his crotch and as soon as he was on the ground, I kicked his stomach.

"The first blow is for what you did to the Doctor, the second is for me and all of the dead you're responsible for. The last is for fun, I'm furious and I could do worse, but I have a case that requires my attention."

I crouched down to him and whispered in his ear.

"If... I didn't have an audience, if I had time and I didn't know what will happen next, I would have done what you did to the Dalek. It may be a killer but it's its nature and it does not enjoy doing it, it's its duty. You, however, have enjoyed it... and in this room, the only monster I see is you."

I stepped back and smiled at him coldly. I got up, removing the smile from my face and walked forward with the Dalek in the hallway. Rose asked me what I had said to Van Statten but I hummed softly, ignoring her question. We arrived in a much larger corridor and the Dalek stopped before shooting at the ceiling. A ray of light illuminated it and made the scene more pleasant. Rose smiled when she saw the blue sky.

"The sun, I never thought that I would miss its heat so much," I whispered, closing my eyes and enjoying the natural heat source.

"HO–W DOES IT FE–EL?"

The Dalek opened its case before the surprised eyes of Rose and me. His armour revealed a creature much more realistic than that of the series. It looked like an octopus with a prominent brain and had only one eye. Its flesh was extremely pale, and it seemed weak. The Dalek lifted one of its tentacles in the air and closed its eyes, enjoying the only source of warmth it was given.

And that's when I felt compassion for it. It thought it was the last of its race and for a few minutes it got to enjoy something that seemed so insignificant to us. I remember what the 10th doctor said in Torchwood.  _One thing a Dalek can't do. Touch. Sealed inside their casing. Never feeling anything, from birth to death, locked in a cold metal cage, completely alone._

"Get out the way!"

We turned around to see the Doctor holding a huge weapon and pointing it at the Dalek. We were its only obstacle.

"Alvia, Rose, stay away now!"

"No!" Said Rose suddenly. "I won't let you do this."

"That thing killed hundreds of people."

"And yet, it's you who holds the weapon." I replied.

"I've got to do this! I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. You know it Alvia!"

"Yes, and it's because I know these things that I ask you to put down your weapon and look at it. Look at it!"

I shifted and looked at the Dalek who had not opened its eye despite the heated exchange. The doctor spoke in a confused voice.

"What's it doing?"

"It's the sunlight, that's all it wants!" Rose responded.

"The only thing anyone has ever given to the Dalek is heat. It just enjoys it."

"B… But it can't." he said in a shaking voice.

"It didn't kill me, it didn't kill Van Statten, it's changing. And You? What about you? Will you change? Because the weapon you hold in your arms gives me a negative answer."

The doctor finally released the pistol, looking lost.

"I couldn't…" He tries to say, on the verge of tears. "I wasn't… Oh, Rose… Alvia… They're all dead."

"I know, and yet killing him will not change anything about your loss and sorrow…" I whispered.

"WH–Y DO WE SURVIVE?" Asked the Dalek weakly.

"I don't know."

"I AM THE LA–ST OF THE DALEK–S." he says with difficulty.

"You're not even that. Rose did more than regenerate you. You absorbed her DNA. You're mutating."

"INTO WH–AT?"

"Something new… I'm sorry."

"Isn't that better?" Asked Rose, offended.

"Not for a Dalek." The Doctor and I said at the same time.

"I CAN FE–EL SO MANY IDE–AS. SO– MUCH DARKNESS… ALVI–A…"

I turned my head quickly towards the Dalek. I was surprised, I shouldn't be the one who orders the Dalek to die, it's Rose who touched it.

"GIVE ME ORDERS! ORDER ME TO DIE."

It closed its eye and Rose grabbed my arm.

"You can't do that!"

"THIS IS NOT LIFE! THIS IS SICKNESS." The Dalek informed Rose.

Her face displays pity and disgust.

"I SHALL NOT BE LIKE HU–MANS. ORDER MY DESTRUCTION!"

"Dalek, self-destruct."

"ARE YO–U FRIGHTENED, ALVI–A?"

"Yeah."

"SO AM I… EXTERMINATE…"

Rose ran to the doctor, almost tripping over the rubble, as I walked slowly backwards, moving a little distance but still staying close to the Dalek. It closed its case and floated in the air. Its golden balls came off to surround it in a perfect sphere, activating a sort of electric field. It exploded inside and disappeared without a trace. Nothing, not even dust or debris, no proof of its existence.

I put my hands in the pockets of my long coat and turned to the Doctor and Rose to see them stunned. I walked towards them, without emotions. I didn't know what to feel about this Dalek.

As soon as I reached the level of the Doctor, he took me in his arms, and I did the same. We separated after a few seconds and I smiled weakly.

"Come on, let's go to the TARDIS. She's waiting for us."

We headed to the elevator and we went down to the level where the TARDIS was. Finally, we stood next to the TARDIS and the Doctor put his hand on it, rubbing his thumb against the blue wood.

"Little piece of home, better than nothing."

"Is that the end of it? The Time War?"

"I'm the only one left.  _I win_. How about that."

"If a Dalek survived… maybe one of your people did too." she said consolingly.

"I'd know. In here." He says, patting his temple. "Feels like there's no one."

I looked at the Tardis so as not to let the doctor see the look on my face that would tell him everything. The Master, too, has survived. And for the moment he is hidden in a fob watch. And then, there is the painting with its title 'Gallifrey Falls No More'. The Doctor is not the last of his kind for eternity, he just has to wait.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere," said Rose. "And I guess Alvia isn't either."

We heard someone run and Adam arrived.

"We'd better get out. Van Statten's disappeared… they're closing down the base."

The doctor faces him with his arms crossed and I put my back against the Tardis, judging him.

"I'll have to go back home."

"Hurry up then. Next flight to Heathrow leaves at 15h."

"Adam was saying that all his life he's wanted to see the stars…" Rose noted.

"Tell him to go and stand outside then."

"He's all on his own, Doctor. And he did help!"

"He's a bit pretty. What do you think Alvia?"

"Tastes and colours. But if you want my opinion, he's not what I would call pretty. You're hot, not him."

I gave him a wink and I left the doctor open-mouthed as the Tardis door opened, even though it was previously locked. It seems that someone likes me.  _Thank you Sexy_.

I went inside and walked to the railing before being joined by the Doctor and Rose. As soon as the blonde came in I turned around and pushed Adam out, trying to get in.

"Sorry dude, but you take the plane and go home. No chance will I let you get in the TARDIS."

"But why?"

"I don't like the way you look," I said to him with a smile. "End of our meeting, have fun, bye-bye!"

I closed the door in his face and the TARDIS left the museum.

"Where is Rose?"

"Gone to her room. Why didn't you let him come?2

"First of all you're the pilot, it's up to you to decide if someone comes or not and then, he would have tried to use information from the future for his own gain. He would have even had a Tardis key, threatening the entire history of mankind because of his bullshit"

He raised his eyebrows.

"I know, spoilers."

"Thank you."

I smiled and then approached the Doctor. My right hand gently touched his cheek and he said nothing of my action.

"How are you? And do not say you're fine, because I know you're not fine. You were tortured and you had to face one of your biggest enemies."

He sighed and his shoulders bowed.

"I could have been in better condition... what about you? It seems to me that you're hurt..."

"It's true that I've had better days," I laughed softly. "I think I'm going to have bruise and a pretty little scar on my brow bone."

I touched my injured eyebrow before suddenly yelling.

"Ah! My glasses are still there!"

"You seem to manage without them, why do you need them?"

"Astigmatic, without it I see the world in 480p instead of 1080p HD. They also had protection against the blue light from screens.

"We'll go find others, I know a place where you can get them and with the correct correction."

"Wow, space glasses! Very cool!"

"But before, let's go to the medical bay, come on, come on!"

I blow in amusement as he clapped his hands as if he were a school mistress calling his students back into school after recess.

When we arrived at the medical bay, I sat on the same bed as the first time and the Doctor pulled out disinfectant and an ointment. After disinfecting the clean cut on my brow and having put some cream on my cheek and stomach, I observed the doctor who was busy with his screwdriver. I put the ointment pot on its side and leaned back to look at the ceiling.

"I hit Van Statten."

He stopped suddenly and looked at me surprised.

"I think I broke his nose, I hit him in the stomach and in the crotch... this is the second time I've hit someone with the urge to hurt them."

"He deserved it. I am rather curious, who was the first?"

"A boy in my class when I was 12-13 years old. His name was Emmanuel. He was a guy who always made naughty remarks, and with my size he didn't miss me out. College was a difficult time for me too, and that day I cracked. I hit him in the jaw. A beautiful right hook."

"Were you punished?"

"No!" I laughed as I remembered. "I went directly to the CPE and I confessed everything, his only reaction was to tell me that I had done well."

I suddenly yawned, ending our conversation.

"Go to sleep." The Doctor ordered gently.

"Good idea. Good night, Doctor."

I left the bay and headed for my room. After changing into nightwear: Deadpool red t-shirt and black shorts, I slipped under the covers and fell straight into Morpheus's arms as soon as my head touched the cushion.

 


	5. Day in TARDIS - After Dalek

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys ! New chapter but not an épisode !
> 
> After having passed so many exams for my diploma I am waiting for the result. I was accepted at the school I wanted and I even wrote a lot of chapters!
> 
> Game of Thrones is over and I start when I have a little lighter head the Good Omens series! (I look forward)
> 
> Speaking of chapters, I'm looking for a new beta. The one I currently have, told me of his "resignation" for personal reasons. Anyway, I don't really have search criteria, just someone who doesn't care about the time I put in writing chapters. So if you are interested, don't hesitate to send me a review or a PM.
> 
> By the way ! thank you very much for the reviews, the follows and the kudos! it makes me really happy !
> 
> Enjoy the reading !

I opened my eyes unwillingly, tiredness still enveloping my body. The TARDIS gently lit my room without blinding me. I rubbed my eyes, blowing hard through my nose. I took advantage of the warmth of the bed for another ten minutes before getting up.

I took a shower, used my shampoo and took a little care of my body. I'm a girl who doesn't care to be fashionable, but I like to be kind to myself and take care of my body, do my makeup and sometimes be pretty. As I have always said, I do it for myself and no one else.

After leaving the bathroom I went to the closet of my room. The bag with my stuff was gone, and my clothes too. I suspect Sexy had something to do with it. So, I opened the closet doors to see my clothes and clothes that I had in my old world and that I didn't have with me. I laughed at the gifts she'd made me and tapped the wall in thanks.

I pulled out faded skinny jeans and ripped high waist fishnet tights and a white t-shirt with the helmet of Loki and written on it 'I do what I want, proud member of Loki's army'. I didn't wear any shoes; I didn't know if I was going on another adventure.

I took the opportunity to observe my room. I hadn't really had the time since our adventure with the Dalek.

My room was bigger than Rose's at Jackie's and bigger than the one I had at home. The walls were similar to inside Twelve's console room. But the floor was a dark solid floor that creaked in some place.

I had a large library which had been filled with the books I had brought, and which only needed to be filled with new books and trinkets. Next to the library I had a long glass desk with my drawing stuff on it, my computer and charger, speakers with a Bluetooth radio but also a mirror and my makeup in front of the mirror. The chair was the same as I had at home, it even had the same traces of wear!

Right next to the desk I noticed that there was a small light wood table with a printer/scanner on it. I approached and checked the paper that I could print. Normal paper and photo paper. I turned on the printer and turned on my computer to connect it. I looked for a particular picture to print with the photo paper to make a gift to the Doctor. Yesterday he said that his Tardis was the last memory of his house. Maybe printing a picture of Gallifrey would make him happy. On the other and, I am not sure of his reaction.

After printing it, I went to put my red Chucks and put my phone in my left back pocket. I took the paper and I left my room. In the hallway I looked to the right and left before asking where The Doctor could be.

"Can you tell me where the Doctor is?"

Sexy replied by turning on her lights and blinking them in a particular direction. I followed the lights, of course, and arrived at the library where the Doctor was reading a book, comfortably seated in a leather chair.

I quickly knocked on the door to make my presence known. He raised his head but did not close his book.

"You're up early, Rose is still sleeping."

"How long have I slept?"

"About 7 hours."

I nodded and remembered why I came.

"Yesterday, you said that the TARDIS was the last memory of Gallifrey that you had. So, with some little things that I had with me I found you another one. "

I handed him the photograph and he took it curiously.

"It's not much, but I thought you might like it..." I said softly.

He put down his book and took the picture with his shaking hands. His eyes scanned the whole picture, observing every detail he could find.

I sat on the edge of his chair and waited for the slightest reaction.

"It's Arcadia... the second city on Gallifrey... the last one to fall..." he said emotionally. "When does your series show Gallifrey?"

"In a flashback," I lied. "One day you will describe your planet and this picture will be shown."

I couldn't tell him that this scene was filmed while his future incarnation would walk on his planet again.

He put the picture next to his book and hugged me. I did the same. My face was leaning against his shoulder and I was smiling softly. We separated when the hug became too long.

"What were you reading?"

"Charles Dickens. Do you know that I met the man in question?"

I snorted in amusement.

"Please, you met him by chance. You got the wrong destination and you broke into his carriage to save Rose!"

"Ah... you knew it."

"Third episode of season 1 of the New Who. The Unquiet Dead." I recited.

"Up to now compared to our adventures, how many episodes have you recognized?"

I got up and I settled in the chair in front of him.

"There are only three episodes I didn't participate in, because I was not there yet. The first is called Rose, this is your first appearance with Rose and the Autons. The second is 'The end of the world' 5 billion years in the future. The third I just told you. The fourth and fifth are respectively 'Alien of London' and 'World War Three' with the Slitheen and the sixth is 'Dalek'. Have I missed anything?"

"I was in Krakatoa and I prevented a couple from going on the Titanic."

"That was briefly mentioned in the first episode..."

"And I was with Rose on a planet where we had to hop to save our lives."

"Seriously?" I laughed. "I can't believe you!"

"I am! Planet Xybolk, its local peoples are all one-legged and it's almost a passable death penalty to walk with both feet. Imagine if you had more than two feet, it must be a nightmare."

I burst out laughing while listening to his story, it all seemed so unreal. I wiped away a tear of laughter.

"I wish I could have seen that! Maybe not be there, I would have hardly lasted five minutes!"

"Well, no chance we're going back there, I absolutely have no desire to walk on one foot again."

"I can imagine."

We laughed a little before we smiled in amusement.

"So, now that you're up. Do you want to go see something?"

"Without Rose?"

"Well, she's not up yet, and she's still sleeping. You, others, like to waste your time for useless things such as sleep." He complained.

"And you, you don't need to sleep, right?"

"Higher physiology, I can last longer without sleeping." he boasts.

"Aah ... I see, excuse me Ô être supérieur!"

"So, adventures?"

"Let me eat before and ask me later. Maybe you should do the same and don't use the excuse of superior physiology, even a time lord like you must eat. In fact, especially you, you run all the time, you need to gain some energy!"

He raised his hands accepting without creating conflicts. So, we headed to the kitchen for breakfast before going on a new adventure.


	6. The Long Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!  
> New chapter yay! and I've got a new beta too! her name is "Sherlockian" here and "legendsofwholock" on Tumblr! *wispers* follow her please!
> 
> HUM! Anyway! I had the diploma of the exams (baccalaureate) that I passed (and that I mentioned previous chapter!), without mention but who cares about the mention?
> 
> I started reading "good omens". I love this book! I'm looking stuff on the internet for a Crowley cosplay (from the show, with David Tennant). I'm already red, I would not need to dye me! By the way, have you ever imagine what if Crowley meet the Doctor ? What would the doctor's reaction be to Crowley ? (must be fun)
> 
> I bloody lost 9 season Doctor Who (2 to 10) because of improper handling, but fortunately I recoup the episodes, I'm in the fourth season.
> 
> Enough talked about my life, enjoy your chapter! Don't hesitate to leave me a review, a kudos, etc... It makes me happy !!

I was leaning against the console waiting for the Doctor. My coat lay quietly on the railing. Legs stretched, arms crossed and eyes fixed on the ceiling. I waited a few minutes before hearing the doctor's heavy steps against the metal floor, so I smiled and turned my head towards the source of the noise.

"So, where do you want to go?

"I have all of time and space in my hands, it's a lot to choose from."

"Past, present, or future?"

"Surprise me! ...Future!"

He started to drive the TARDIS and asked me to clear the console when I hampered his passage.

I rolled my eyes, but I didn't complain any more than that. The crossing through the Time Vortex was a little chaotic but not any worse than that; at least I didn't end up on the ground.

When we finally arrived, I put on my coat, making a move, not unlike the Doctor's, that would've qualified as dramatic. As soon as I stepped outside, I was invaded by a strong heat wave.

"Wow... someone likes to be hot here. "

The place vibrated under my feet and everything seemed futuristic... yet familiar. Not a soul was alive here, though.

The Doctor fumbled in his pocket and handed me something; a key. I took it and stared at it.

"TARDIS key. Don't lose it."

"I won't. "

I removed my necklace (which was just a simple chain with a ring too big for me) and I slid on my key as a new pendant. I put my necklace under my shirt and felt a pleasant warmth appear and disappear immediately.

The Doctor took my hand and we headed for a door closed by a fence. On the other side, you could see a window. I opened the fence and climbed some stairs before arriving at an observation platform. In front of me, the planet Earth was displayed proudly, though it wasn't as blue as I remembered.

"We are around the year 200,000, it's the fourth great and bountiful human empire. In front of you is the Earth at it's height. Covered with mega-cities, five moons and population of 96 billion. The hub of a galactic domain, stretching across a million planets, a million species with mankind right in the middle.

"It's… it's… wait. Five moons? How can the Earth have five moons?"

"Four of them are artificially created moons but are exact copies of the moon you know. Just a piece of rock that grew up in orbit around a planet."

"In my world, I was taught that the moon was a piece of earth that had been torn off as it collided with her twin Theia. This massive collision provoked the inclination of the Earth and the orbiting of the piece which rounds out as time, speed and its orbit around the Earth. "

He looked at me surprised.

"More I learn about you and your world, more surprised I get. You seem to know a lot." He smiles at me.

"I like everything related to space and my planet." I laughed, running my hand through my hair, slightly embarrassed by my knowledge. "The theory of the real Void, Black holes... in my world we've just, for the first time, seen a black hole. The universe is fascinating, and that's what I like. I like to learn more about the reality in which I live and breathe."

"I can tell." he said. "Your eyes shine with curiosity and passion when you talk about it. And what you say is interesting because it shows the difference between this universe and yours. But this is a conversation for later. " He turned around and we went back to the previous room. "You're gonna love this fantastic period of history. The human race is at its highest in culture, art, and politics. The food is refined, and the people have good manners…"

At these words the place suddenly became animated. The smell of fast-food was felt, people flocked and pushed themselves without even apologizing, tables and chairs were set up and people ate quickly and talked at the same time. It reminded me of the self in high school.

"Fine cuisine and good manner, huh? I mocked. Yeah, I can definitely see it.

"My watch must be wrong." He says, checking the item in question. "No, it's fine… weird…"

" _Someone_  must've fallen asleep in class, if your knowledge is all wrong."

"My knowledge is perfect."

"There's something wrong with everything you've praised me about and for the moment I'm blaming your history." I looked at people all around me. All seemed to be human beings. "And I don't want to say that it's whitewashing at the species level, but why do they all seem to be humans? Where are the billions of species you told me about?

"Oi!" He exclaims, a little offended. "But that's a good point, a very good one. "

The smell of fast food suddenly made me feel hungry again, invading my belly. Seriously, I had eaten half an hour ago! I moaned with spite.

"What? What's wrong?" He asks worriedly.

"I'm still hungry." I complained. "But I can eat when we go back to the TARDIS, don't worry."

"Nah, it's fine." He replied, taking me by the shoulder. "You can order some food, but first of all, we need money. Let's go to a cash point."

He went quickly to a distributor and at the same time took out his sonic screwdriver. I had to run to catch up with him. He held his screwdriver against the crate and what appears to be a future version of a credit card fell. It looked like a harmonica. He handed it to me.

"There you go, pocket money. Don't spend it on useless stuff that every girl buys."

"Do I look like a girl who buys everything?" I asked offended.

I analysed the subject of a quick observation before returning my attention to the Doctor.

"How do I use it?" Because there is clearly no manual supplied with it.

"Go and find out! Time travel is like visiting Paris. Yeah, no, bad example. With you," he corrects himself when he sees my eyebrows rise at the mention of Paris. "It's like visiting another country, you've got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong word, the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers."

I certainly know someone who is using his last example and doing even more than that. I can not wait to meet him.

"Ok I get it, I'll discover for myself." I agreed, sighing strongly. "I'll be right back, do you want something?"

"Nothing for me, thank you. "

So I queued and waited about ten minutes before I could order and pay. I had a drink called  _Fishtard_  and a little bacon cronk burger. The burger was in itself a Burger King mini steakhouse but made by the cook named Cronk and the drink was ... how to say ... surprising. When you don't know what it's at first, it's surprising. It had the taste of fish fingers and custard. From trying the recipe one summer, I know I like this mix. It tasted good even though it looked disgusting.

While I ate quietly but quickly, I took out my phone to take some pictures. I took them of my food, my drink and the environment, while remaining discreet.

As the Doctor had said, it was like visiting another country. When I listened to the discussions, I got the impression that they were speaking in another language because the terms they used were completely unknown to me. The way they dressed was a bit odd but they in themselves were fine as were their haircuts.

I played with my phone, spinning and sliding it between my fingers. Well, as much as I could with a 5.5 inch phone. Lost in my thoughts, I jumped when I heard an alarm close to the hiss of a steam train. I was stopped by the Doctor and I quickly joined him and two women while throwing my garbage in the trash.

The Doctor introduced me to Cathica and Suki and informed them that I was his assistant in the inspection on behalf of the management.

"She's pretty young to be an assistant," Cathica remarked, frowning.

"He says that I am his assistant, but really I'm a trainee. Training course following my professional management program." I lied, playing the game. "I'll tell you something, I'm not even being paid, but I do many things."

My little trick succeeds, since she smiles, reassured, and Suki laughs. The Doctor had raised his eyebrows, impressed. Cathica drove us to her place of work and we were joined by her colleagues.

"Professional program? Murmured the Doctor.

"I was studying merchandising at school and we had 22 weeks of internships to validate the diploma. The rest of the time I had classes in high school."

To be honest I preferred my time at school. I have a bad memory of the last internship I did. The manager of the store where I worked had something against me and it had direct repercussions on my health. In the end, 5 weeks of lost school and a catastrophic bulletin. In other words, graduate studies weren't easy, especially since I was a student who did the bare minimum when I had the ability to succeed.

Cathica had led us into an all-white room with an octagonal platform raised in the middle. And in its center a chair leaning back that reminded me of the one that was found in dentists.

"Now, everybody behave! We have a management inspection." She shouted, before turning back to us. "How do you want it? By the book?

"Oh, right from scratch, thanks."

"Ok, so, ladies, gentlemen, multisex, undecided or robot, my name is Cathica Santini Kadainy. That's Cathica with a "C", in case you want to write to Floor 500 praising me, and please… do."

I snorted with amusement before leaning towards the doctor.

"Someone here really wants a promotion." I whispered.

I heard a laugh from the doctor.

"Now, please feel free to ask any questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest, and be non-biased. That's company policy."

She turned to the doctor to smile at him and he nodded.

"Actually…" intervened Suki, smiling at us. "It's the law."

"Yes, thank you, Suki." Replies the black woman, irritated. "Okay, keep it calm… don't show off for the guests… here we go." She lies down in the chair. "And… engage safety…"

The staff members put their hands over their facilities. Each wall was lit one by one. Cathica snapped her fingers and her forehead opened, revealing her brain. Disgusting. The staff finally put their hands on their facilities and closed their eyes.

"And 3… 2… and spike!"

The machine above the chair ignited and a blue light went directly to her brain.

"Compressed information, streaming into her." He explains. "Reports from every city, every country, every planet, all get packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software, her brain is the computer. "

This scene reminded me of a passage from the manga Fullmetal Alchemist: the opening of the Door of Truth in aid of a human transmutation.

"All this influx of knowledge, her mind must be ripped apart."

"It's erased immediately, she won't remember. Fortunately, otherwise her head would explode."

That's what nearly happened to Donna when she had all the Doctor's knowledge in her mind.

The doctor walked around the room and I stayed where I am, watching closely.

"And what about people around? What are they for?"

"They all transmit on the 600 channels through a small chip in their head that connects them to her. Everything that happens in the empire is transmitted from here. " After doing a lap of the room, he returns to my side, leaning on the barrier. "Now, that's what I call power."

"At the technical level maybe, but at the technological level I don't agree."

"What do you mean?"

"This is obvious, right? Even I, who am from the year 2019, can say that there is a huge problem with this technology. I mean, look, her brain is in clear view of everyone, without security and if I wanted to, I could introduce a pen without anyone stopping me."

Suki suddenly gasped as she pulled her hands away as if she had just had a shot of juice. The others were forced to remove their hands and the lights on the walls went out. The compressed information ceased to penetrate Cathica's brain and the door in her head closed. Suki was breathing heavily as she rubbed her hands.

"Come off it, Suki, I wasn't even halfway, what was that for? Said the black woman, annoyed.

"Sorry, must've been a glitch…"

Cathica stood up and a projection came to life on the wall as a loudspeaker activated.

" **Promotion**."

"This is it. Come on. God, make it me. Come on, say my name, praised Cathica."

I raised my eyebrows. This is called an obsession.

"Say my name, say my name, say my name…"

" **Promotion for… Suki Macrae Cantrell.** "

The name flashed on the projection and Suki screamed with joy. Cathica looked disgusted.

" **Please proceed to Floor 500.** "

Suki stood up as if she couldn't believe her eyes.

"I don't believe it… Floor 500!" She exclaimed, stupefied.

"How the hell did you manage that? I'm above you!"

"I don't know, I just applied on the off-chance… and they've said yes!"

"That's not fair, I've been applying to Floor 500 for three years!"

"I understood that there was something with this floor, but in what it's so important?" I interrupted suddenly.

"Walls are made of gold." replies the Doctor.

"This isn't a good reason enough... For all we know,  _walls could be covered by ice_  …"

Suki left the room to pack her bag and the others followed suit, realizing that they weren't needed anymore. Cathica stayed with us, grumbling and mumbling under her breath.

About a quarter of an hour later, Suki returned with a bag full of clothes and trinkets. And now we were in front of the elevator, Suki radiantly shining with excitement.

"I'm gonna miss you, Cathica! Oh… Floor 500!" She turns to the Doctor. "Thank you!

"I didn't do anything!"

"Well, you're my lucky charm!"

"All right! I'll hug anyone!"

She happily embraced the Doctor and he returned the favor. Cathica looked stubbornly everywhere except Suki. I could feel her jealousy. To my surprise Suki took me in her arms and as I hadn't expected it, I jumped at the movement.

Unlike the Doctor, she threw me a little on the sides while murmuring thank you in the ear. In a flash of memory I whispered to her.

"Be careful, it's a trap ..."

Her joy calmed instantly and she stepped back and looked at me intently. Her eyes showed her surprise, her understanding but also her determination. No matter what she was fighting for, she knew she was right and I had just confirmed her suspicions. She gave a slight nod to confirm that she understood. Her play resumed when her joy resurfaced.

"Oh, my god! I've got to go, I can't keep them waiting!" She exclaims, taking her bag and rushing to the elevator. "I'm sorry! Say goodbye to Steve for me!"

The doctor smiled and Cathica muttered a jealous "good riddance." I put my hands in my pockets, without reaction.

"You're talking like you'll never see her again. She's only going upstairs."

"They never come back." I whispered.

The Doctor heard it and his mood dropped, his eyebrows furrowed and he became a little more concerned.

"Have you ever been up there?" The doctor asked Cathica.

"No. You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with promotion. No one gets to 500 except for the chosen one."

Cathica, no longer wanting to be here, went back to the transmission room, getting ready to work again. I rolled my eyes and the doctor nudged me to say to behave a little better.

"Look they only give us twenty minutes maintenance, can't you give it a rest?"

The doctor sat down in the chair where she had been lying before.

"But you've never been to another floor? Not even one floor down?" Insisted the Doctor.

He shifted to his seat to settle down a little more comfortably, I preferred to stand by the back of the seat, as he crossed his legs.

"I went to floor 16 when I first arrived." She tells us. "That's medical, that's when I got my head done, and then I, I came straight here. Satellite Five, you work, eat and sleep on the same floor. That's it, that's all." She looked at us suddenly. "You're not management, are you?"

Someone gives her a medal, she get it!

"At last! She's clever!"

"You took some time!"

"Don't be rude, Alvia."

"Yeah, well, whatever it is, don't involve me. I don't know anything."

"You're even going to try to report us? Earlier it was ignorance, but this is profound stupidity." I said. "Aren't you even going to ask what we're doing here?"

"Why would I?"

"This is the principle of journalism! You investigate, search and find any information so you can have a correct article!" I exclaimed. "What you do is clearly not journalism!"

"Alvia's right. Why is the crew only human?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" She responded, confused.

"There's no aliens on board. Why?"

"I don't know. No real reason, they're not banned or anything."

"Then where are they?" He asks, looking around the room.

"I suppose immigration's tightened up. It's had to, what, with all the threats." She lets out, puzzled.

"What threats?"

"I don't know." She said, lost. "Usual stuff. And the price of space warp doubled so that kept the visitors away…"

She was starting to panic a bit. At the same time we stared at her seriously, without saying anything.

"Oh, and the government on Traffic Five's collapsed, so that lot stopped coming, you see… just… lots of little reasons, that's all."

"Why did it collapse? What allowed the collapse? What will be the consequences of this collapse?" I asked suddenly. "You don't ask yourself these questions? Or do you prefer to just have the information without the details?"

"Adding up to one great big fact, and you didn't even notice." The Doctor chimed in.

"Doctor, I think if there was any kind of conspiracy, Satellite Five would have seen it. We see everything."

"We always say that." I commented, uncrossing my legs and leaning on the chair. "We think we know everything, we see everything. But in the end, we made a mistake and it's too late. And when I say "we" I mean the human race."

"And I can see better. This society's the wrong shape. Even the technology." The Doctor added.

"It's cutting edge!"

"You're kidding?" I objected. Have a hole in your skull, its cutting edge?! Where did this idea come from, by the way?"

I consider the doctor for an answer I would never know.

"It's not just this space station, it's the whole attitude. It's the way people think. The great and bountiful human empire's been held back and someone or something is the reason."

"And how would  _you_  know?"

"Trust me. Humanity's been set back about 90 years... when did Satellite Five start broadcasting?"

"91 years ago…"

The doctor nodded and I looked at him with eyes that said, "See?", the Doctor suddenly stood up, taking me back and squeak with surprise. I almost fell back.

"I need to get into the system, where can I find a computer?"

"You should try next to the elevator." I helped. "There was a kind of maintenance door, you might find your happiness."

He kissed my forehead suddenly, laughing and complimenting me.

"You're fantastic!"

And he left quickly, and I put my hand on my forehead, blushing and trying to hold back a smug smile that would make me look stupid.

"That's certainly new ..." I murmured.

I quickly joined the Doctor, heading towards the elevator. Cathica followed us while whispering that she could be fired. As if we weren't going to have any problems.

The Doctor was scanning the door to try and open it. Since it wasn't wood, I hoped that we wouldn't have too many problems.

"You're not allowed to touch the mainframe, you're gonna get told off!"

"Can I tell her to shut up?" I asked the doctor, annoyed.

"You can't just vandalise the place, someone's gonna notice!"

"As much as they noticed the conspiracy around this Satellite?" I mocked.

The Doctor suddenly opened the door violently and went inside scanning with his screwdriver searching for something. He triturated the cables, tearing some. His sonic was still active and making his usual noise.

I wiped a little sweat running down my neck.

"I have nothing to do with this, I'm going back to work."

Cathica started to leave when the Doctor said goodbye, she turned around. At that moment, she had an internal crisis about whether or not she should leave us, trying to figure out which would be the right thing to do, since she didn't want to have any problems.

"I can't just leave you, can I?"

I ignored her.

"Look for the heat." I said to the doctor. "You might find something interesting."

"A clue?"

"Mmm maybe." I hummed. "Anyway it's too hot for a healthy environment; it's not normal."

"We keep asking, something to do with the turbine."

"And as usual, you didn't dig deep enough to find the problem, or perhaps even solve it." I said sarcastically, while the doctor repeated the last sentence in mockery.

"One minute, you're worried about the Empire and the next time it's the central heating! I don't understand you."

"It's still the machinery of the place that keeps you alive while you're in space. If I was in your place, I would have already returned to earth with the station for a complete technical checkup."

"And never underestimate plumbing. Plumbing's very important."

At these words, the Doctor snatched a batch of threads. I snorted with amusement and he looked up before throwing the cables to the ground.

I pulled out of the closet to let him do his job for a few minutes. In the meantime, I tightened the laces of my shoes before sitting on the floor, legs crossed and one hand holding my head.

He eventually hacked the mainframe and succeeded a few minutes later. He turned the screen towards us and stepped back to let us see; I got up to read the screen. Cathica had also come closer, her curiosity having won.

"Here we go, Satellite Five. Pipes and plumbing. Look at the layout." He presents.

"This is ridiculous. You've got access to the computer's core. You can look at the archive, the news, the stock exchange… and you're looking at pipes?"

"But there's something wrong."

She turns to him, puzzled, before turning her attention to the screen, thinking about the problem before finding it and uttering it.

"Everything works perfectly. Cooling ducts, ice filters ... all channelling massive amounts of heat  _down_."

"All the way from the top. Floor 500." Adds the doctor.

"Where the walls are made of gold."

"Something up there is generating tons and tons of heat."

"Now, that's interesting and it's worth an investigation. And what better way to retrieve the information than to go there?" I smiled mischievously.

"You can't, you need a key."

Oh, come on!

"Keys are just codes, and I've got the codes right here." He said, gesturing towards the screen. He stepped forward and pressed a few buttons to generate a code. "Here we go, override 215.9."

A code appeared, to the surprise of the journalist.

"How come it's giving you the code?"

The Doctor suddenly looked up at a security camera.

"Someone up there likes me"

The Doctor tidied the screen and closed the closet before locking it. We then headed for the elevator that was waiting for us with the doors open.

"I guess you don't want to ride?" I asked Cathica.

"Absolutely not!"

The Doctor waved goodbye.

"Don't mention my name! When you get in trouble, just don't involve me!"

The Doctor tapped the code to activate the elevator and the doors closed.

"Looks like it's just you and me."

"I'm not complaining." I responded, winking at him.

Oh my god ... am I? Did I try to flirt with the doctor? If I did, the doctor didn't seem to mind (or decided not to show it). He still took my hand in his and wrapped his fingers around mine.

"He would have put the thing on the head. Adam, I mean."

"For information." I remember. "The history of the microprocessor." I clarified. "And he would have had Rose's key and her phone."

"How?"

"She passed him, and he made her believe he wasn't feeling well."

"Good, luckily he's not with us." He assures himself.

"I'm still waiting for Rose's reaction to us being gone without her. I don't think she really likes me."

He gently squeezed my hand to reassure me. A silence settled and I felt the same pressure that I experienced at Van Statten in the elevator. We were getting closer to the top floor. The door finally opened to let us see floor 500, whose walls were covered with ice, floor covered with snow, and had stalactites decorating the ceiling. The change in the temperature was immediate and I was in my element. I always liked the cold, and I didn't really feel it (though I was still happy to have my long coat as an extra layer). With every breath we took, a mist appeared.

"The walls are not made of gold. You should go back downstairs."

"And leave you with the White Walker version of Simon Pegg? No way."

Without wasting time, we moved forward. We didn't stop when we saw corpses that were decomposed and frozen. We went straight to the control room, where the Editor was looking at the screens. It was as I had thought: the Simon Pegg look-alike with the hair, the frozen white beard, and the blue eyes similar to those of the White Walkers.

He turned to us, smiling.

"I started without you. This is fascinating." He starts. "Satellite Five contains every piece of information within the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements, but you two… you don't exist!"

I squinted at his little speech. He laughed.

"Not a trace! No birth, no job, not the slightest kiss. How can you walk through the world and not leave a single footprint?"

I watched the corpses work, it was disturbing and horrible.

"From what I've seen, you're both full of information." He said. "But it's only fair we get information back, because apparently, you're no one. And it's so rare not to know something. Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter, 'cause we're off. Nice to meet you." The Doctor responded flatly.

I wanted to go back but I was caught by hands that were cold and hard. I struggled to get away, and was frightened to see the corpses so close to me.

"Tell me who you are!"

"Since that information's keeping us alive, I'm hardly gonna say, am I?"

"Well, perhaps my Editor in chief can convince you otherwise."

"And who's that?"

I looked up in horror at the thing that controlled Satellite Five. I didn't even think to lower my eyes, as shock flooded my body and prevented me from making any movement.

"It may interest you to know that is  _not_ the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. In fact, it's not actually human at all. It's merely a place where humans happen to live."

The creature opened his mouth and grunted things; he seemed angry. The Editor listened eagerly and intently to what he said.

"Yeah, sorry. It's a place where humans are  _allowed_  to live, by kind and generous permission of my client."

He snapped his fingers before pointing them up. The doctor glanced at me to see that I was looking up, horrified, at the ceiling. He noticed that I had been in this position for a while. The creature turned out to be a kind of sticky bump, his eyes nasty and distant, with a mouth full of sharp, snapping teeth.

"You mean, that thing's in charge of Satellite Five?"

"That "thing", as you put it, is in charge of the human race." The doctor looked at the man, alarmed. "For almost a hundred years, mankind has been shaped and guided, his knowledge and ambition strictly controlled by its broadcast news. Edited by my superior, your master, and humanities guiding light, the mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe." The Jagrafess continued to roar as he spoke. "I call him Max." He confesses, amused.

The Doctor smiled sarcastically and nodded, before were shot unceremoniously at a device that held us in place. Our wrists were fastened securely and there was no way to escape; not even trying to dislocate my thumbs would work.

"If we create a climate of fear… then it's easy to keep the borders closed. It's just a matter of emphasis. The right word in the right broadcast repeated often enough can destabilize an economy… invent an enemy… change a vote…"

"So, all the people on earth are unconsciously slaves." I spat.

"Well, now. There's an interesting point. Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?" He philosophises.

"Yes." The Doctor answered immediately.

"Oh, I was hoping for a philosophical debate. Is that all I'm going to get? Yes?" He asked, a little disappointed.

"Yes."

"It's not like we have four hours to answer, huh?"

The Editor laughed condescendingly.

"You're no fun."

"Let me out of these manacles, you'll find out how much fun I am."

"Oh, he's tough, isn't he? But, come on. Isn't it a great system? You've got to admire it, just a little bit."

"He may be ingenious," I conceded reluctantly, "but people must have noticed it after all this time."

"From time to time." Confirmed the Editor. "Someone, yes. But the computer system allows me to see inside their brain… I can see the smallest doubt, and crush it."

"I can see that." I said softly, looking at Suki and the other corpses.

He smiles while strolling in front of us. The Editor says something, but I didn't listen, as I had just noticed Cathica sneaking into the room.

"What about you? You're not like this thing. You're human."

"Yeah, well simply being human doesn't pay very well."

"What I mean is that you couldn't have done it alone. I don't think you're a criminal mastermind, like Moriarty."

"No! But I represent a consortium of Banks. Money prefers a long-term investment. Also, the Jagrafess needed a little hand to um… install himself."

"No wonder, given its size." Commented the doctor.

Cathica approached a little, and saw the Jagrafess. Her expression changed to one of shock.

"What's his life span?"

"Three thousand years."

"That's one hell of metabolism generating all that heat. That's why Satellite Five's so hot. You pump it out of the creature, channel it downstairs. Jagrafess stays cool, stays alive. Satellite Five's one great big life support system."

"And that's why you're so dangerous! Knowledge is power, but you remain unknown."

He snapped his fingers and the handcuffs ignited, sending electric shocks through them. I gasped with the sudden pain.

"Who are you?"

I groaned in pain. I could feel my legs shaking.

"Leave her alone. I'm the Doctor, she's Alvia. We're nothing, we're just wandering!"

He snapped his fingers and the pain stopped.

"Well, if you don't want to tell us, we have another way…"

He pulled small black claws that emitted a blue light out of his suit pocket.. The Editor approached me and I wanted to retreat from the imminent danger. He hung his claws at my temples and I felt a sharp pain in my head. He looked at me, satisfied and I glared at him. But it only lasted a few seconds, since he snapped his fingers again and an excruciating pain tore through my skull.

I had flashes of memories about my past, the Doctor; his past, his planet, his TARDIS, and I couldn't stop myself from screaming. It was as if something was rummaging through my mind but was tearing up everything in its path.

After what seemed like hours of torture, it finally stopped. My legs dropped, but I was still restrained by handcuffs. I felt a cold hand caress my face and I didn't even have the strength to pull away. The pincers were removed and it felt liberating.

"Time Lord." Announced the Editor, fascinated.

"What have you done to her?!" Shouted the Doctor.

"The last of the Time Lords in his travelling time machine. With his little foreign fox from so far away."

"You're ripping apart her mind!" Accused the Doctor, horrified. "You read her thoughts, you saw everything!"

"And thanks to her, I know everything about you. Every piece of information in her head has now become mine. And you have infinite knowledge, Doctor. The human empire is tiny compared to what you saw in your: T. A. R. D. I. S. TARDIS."

"You'll never get your hands on it. I'll die first."

"Die if you want, but I don't need you. After all, I've got the key."

The Editor fumbled in my t-shirt to get the chain I had kept the key on. He took it in his hand before quickly releasing it, and I could see that he had been burned by the key that had suddenly flashed gold.

"And the TARDIS won't let it go, she is stubborn after all." I murmured, happy of the sudden injury of our captor.

"I can find a way to get in." He brushes it off, as if it was nothing. "We can rewrite history. We could prevent mankind from ever developing."

"And no-one's gonna stop you. Because you've bred a human race that doesn't bother to ask questions. Stupid little slaves, believing every lie. They'll just trot right into the slaughter house if they're told it's made of gold." The Doctor mocked, addressing his words to Cathica.

The revelation appeared on her face and it took shape as a kind of decision. Suddenly, she left her place, knowing where she had to go.

An alarm sounds just after, disturbing the man in front of us. He snapped his fingers and a projection showing Cathica using the compressed information appeared.

"Who's that?!"

"Cathica, an investigative journalist." I said proudly. "And she uses what she knows."

"Everything I told her about Satellite Five, the pipes, the filters, she's reversing it! Look at that…"

The Doctor was watching the stalactites and the ice on the walls that was starting to melt. The Editor became frenzied and tried to stop Cathica as the screens suddenly exploded, and the corpses fell to the floor, lifeless. The Satellite shuddered abruptly and the alarms went off. By some miracle, my handcuffs were undone. I, of course, fell to the ground, being no longer restrained. Putting aside my headache, I got up and looked for the Doctor's screwdriver by delving into his inside pocket, (which was, of course, bigger on the inside).

"Since there's no more ventilation, the Jagrafess is no longer cool. He's like a volcano ready to explode!"

After rummaging for a moment, I finally found it. I clutched it in my right hand, and held it like a wizard holding his wand. Pressing the switch, I aimed it at each handcuff, which buzzed and exploded as they unlocked. Finally, The Doctor was free, and we ran away from the explosion to find Cathica. Before leaving the control room I glanced at The Editor, who was begging me to save him. The Doctor had already told him that the explosion was going to be massive. Without thinking, I ran to the ultra-white Simon Pegg and grabbed his arm, pulling him to safety. Surprisingly, Suki hadn't managed to catch him, and I'd just saved a bad guy.

"Not a word, not a comment or I hit you." I barked at him.

I joined the doctor and Cathica, who glanced at The Editor, shocked that he was beside me. As I approached, I heard an explosion of fluid that made me wince.

"Why is he here?"

"I thought he should face justice. The shadow proclamation, perhaps?"

As The Doctor agreed that it was a good idea, Cathica smiled wickedly and the Editor swallowed hard in fear. We returned to floor 139 where everyone was recovering from the hustle and bustle. Thanks to The Doctor, the Editor's hands were now tied with some kind of alien handcuffs and he was left in Cathica's care.

Without sticking around to see what happened next, we went back to the TARDIS, drifting quietly. We talked a little bit about everything that happened, and I told him that I didn't regret a second of it. I found some medicine for my headache, which (despite the taste) was surprisingly effective. The two of us chatted happily until Rose arrived in the console room, a furious expression on her face.

"Where the hell were you?"

"You were asleep so we decided to go on a little adventure without you." Replied The Doctor, ignoring the furious tone of the blonde. "Nothing to worry about."

"And you didn't think to wake me up?!"

"If you want it to be fair, you can do the next adventure without me." I suggested.

She made a "humpf" of acceptance but continued to stare me down. I shrugged before putting my coat in my bedroom and heading to the library to read a little. The Doctor did the same, enjoying the time to pause after this escapade. He picked up the Charles Dickens book he had left last time, and I took a Lovecraft. The day passed quietly with reading and literary discussions, leaving my mind in peace.


	7. Father's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys ! I know so much time since i publish the last chapter !!
> 
> I have so many things to told you! i finished the book Good Omens ( this summer ) and i start to watch the show. I also start a show on Netflix 'Criminal', David Tennant is creepy as fuck (I have not finished the first episode yet).
> 
> Thanks to Legendsofwholock who started the correction of this chapter and to Bored411 who ended it (you're saving me! again thank you!!)
> 
> Also, I wrote a new story that maybe I would publish. it's called 'Time Lord 2.0'
> 
> We know that the Lords of Time and their planet Gallifrey, were frozen in Time for a few seconds in another universe. And if during the transfer of the planet from one universe to another, the blockage in time fell for a few moments before resuming itself, leaving a handful of Gallifreyan and Lord of Time the opportunity to to run away and create a new branch of the formerly peaceful people? Time lords 2.0.
> 
> Of course this was the first idea, i already created a original caracter etc... this oc will join the 10th doctor right after his regeneration. Tell me if you want to read that story.
> 
>  
> 
> Anyway, i won't talk anymore, Enjoy this chapter ! and if you liked it, leave a reviews or fav or follow :D

It's when we've lost someone that we realize how important they really are. I lost my parents, my family, and my friends the day I had a car accident. Since that day, I haven't seen any of them, not even once. It was the curse of having changed universes. And because I was afraid of being disappointed, I never asked the Doctor to see if my parents existed in this universe.

Because I knew that even if they were alive here, they could never be my parents, not really. In this universe, maybe they never met, and never had me. It's this intense fear of rejection that's made me repress my feelings about this loss; deny myself mourning. That's why I didn't mention my parents, why I gave up my name without looking back.

To take my mind off it, I started reading again. I like to read, it's the only way I can escape to another world without ever leaving this one. I found myself re-reading Harry Potter for the umpteenth time. I was in the third volume, the Prisoner of Azkaban. I remember that it was this book and the film, as well as Doctor Who, which introduced me to my fascination in time travel and the science behind it. Well, I admit that the film and the series helped me more than the book. I'd devoured the book, and the whole saga, but I admit that the journey through time in the book made me neither hot nor cold.

So there I was, reading Harry Potter. I was in Remus' class, rediscovering the creature that took the form of our greatest fear. I have no idea what my biggest fear would be. I was a student at Hogwarts when Rose arrived, making me return to the TARDIS in her console room; sitting on the floor, legs crossed (which was a little painful), against a pillar of coral. Rose held a picture frame in her hands. The Doctor was sitting there playing with a ball that he had brought back from the previous adventure with Rose.

They had been on an alien market, in a galaxy very far from ours. They'd been far in the past, before the creation of our galaxy. It had been an adventure I did not participate in, just Rose and the Doctor. To make up for the adventure on the Satellite Five that we had done without her. From what I understood their adventure went wrong, of course. The market hid a black network that was selling slaves. Rose, being human, was an unknown breed to the local species, so she was captured. It was during the auction that the Doctor had found her and managed to dismantle the network. A story that ends well. The bullet the Doctor was playing with was just a trinket he'd gotten from one of the buyers during the auction. I suspect the Doctor of having some kleptomaniac tendencies.

Rose sat down in front of him, resting on the console, fiddling with the picture. She seemed to have trouble speaking. I could tell that it was because she was getting emotional, but after a sudden burst of courage she finally spoke, choosing her words carefully.

"Peter Alan Tyler, my dad… The most wonderful man in the world. Born 15th of September 1954…"

She told us about her father, telling us word for word what her mother had told her when she was younger.

"That's what mum always says. So, I thought… maybe… could we? Could we go and see my dad when he was still alive?"

"Where's this come from, all of sudden?" Asked the Doctor

"All right then. If we can't, if it goes against the laws of times or something like that, then never mind, we'll just leave it."

"No, I can do anything. I'm just more worried about you."

"I wanna see him," she said.

"Your wish is my command. But be careful what you wish for."

He got up and pulled the lever that started the engines. Rose decided she wanted to see the wedding of her father and mother, so she gave the Doctor the date and place of the wedding. He typed in the coordinates and pressed a few buttons, moving around the console quickly as he drove the TARDIS. When she materialized at the right time and in the right place, Rose went straight to the door. The Doctor turned to me, but I didn't move, still reading Harry Potter and turning the next page in my book.

"You don't want to come?"

"It's Rose's request to see her father, not mine. I wouldn't want to ruin her good time, especially since I get bored quickly at weddings."

The Doctor shrugged and quietly left the TARDIS, joining Rose outside. The door closed and locked behind them. Alone in the console room of Sexy, I continued reading, returning to Hogwarts. Time passed at the school and the pages turned, I was bewitched in this world, accompanying Harry, Ron and Hermione in their adventures.

The glow of the moonlight bathed the surroundings of the school grounds. Professor Lupin was painfully transformed into a Werewolf until he finally screamed in the biting cold of the dark night. He was moving slowly towards us, preparing to attack us when a hand suddenly rested on my shoulder. I jumped, shouting suddenly. I looked up to see that it was the Doctor, holding back a mocking smile. I could feel my heart beating wildly in my chest, I was surprised. I saw the Doctor's chest tremble and I gradually heard an amused chuckle from him. I got up, my pale cheeks turning red from embarrassment. A sneer came from Rose and I tried to keep the little dignity I had, taking my book and closing it, placing a bookmark where I had stopped.

I glanced at the Doctor, daring him to mention what had just happened. He raised his hands, feigning innocence, even though I could see he was laughing internally, his blue eyes shining with mischief.

"You're back." I observed. "How was the weeding?"

"Disappointing …" Rose sighed. "I was wondering ... could we go see him the day he died?"

"Why?" Asked the Doctor, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Mum said he died alone, and he didn't have anyone with him ... I want to be that someone. So that he doesn't die alone."

"November the 7th?"

"1987."

I looked at Rose apprehensively, she was going to see her father die. It's painful to see your father die. I know that if I had the opportunity to go back to see my dead grandfather, I would have liked to tell him everything I'd done. I couldn't have saved him, he died of cancer. The worst part of his death is that I don't remember the date or the year. My throat tightened as I thought about my grandfather. I swallowed hard before returning to Rose.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure about what?"

"Sure about seeing your father die? It's not the kind of thing that anyone would want to see."

"I didn't ask for your opinion!" Rose shouted.

I swallowed a remark, preferring that she didn't pour all her anger out on me. Collapsing against a coral pillar, I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I tapped my thumb twice on the screen to turn it on and put it on the fingerprint sensor to unlock it. Once I'd turned on the Tumblr app, I scrolled to see the new posts. The Doctor had at one point made his jiggery-pokery on my phone and I was now connected to the 4G inter-universal (honestly, it's so cool).

Rose ran out of the TARDIS again followed by the Doctor. He turned for a few seconds to look at me before closing the door. For almost twenty minutes I was alone and as I tidied up my phone and got up to get a drink, the door suddenly opened and Rose rushed towards me for a hug. As I didn't expect it, I stretched out, arms in the air moving slightly, not knowing what to do. A bit like Eleven when River kissed him at Stormcage.

Rose sobbed in my arms, her head on my shoulder, and I was sure her tears—stained with mascara—were on my t-shirt. The Doctor returned and looked surprised to see Rose in my arms. I felt exactly the same, since she and I don't have the best relationship. Since I didn't want to be a first class bitch, I rubbed my hands against her back comfortingly.

"I ... I can't do it alone!" She cried into my shoulder. "I'm begging you to come! I don't want to be alone!"

I frowned, and looked up at the Doctor for a hint of what she was trying to say, but he didn't answer me. Rose sniffled and finally looked at me, tears down her cheeks.

"I can't do it alone, Alvia ... Please come with me." She begged through her tears.

"No," I replied immediately.

Rose pulled back as if I had slapped her, her eyes wide. Was it because of my negative answer? Because of the speed of my answer? Because of the firm tone I used and my expression, which showed that I thought it was dangerous? I knew she was going to end up saving her father, but if I could stop her, it would be better.

"W…Why?!"

"I'm not an expert on Time, like the Doctor, but what I do know is that going to the same place at the same time as your past is dangerous. And seeing your father die for a second time is just cruel."

The Doctor suddenly intervened, trying to convince me that nothing bad will happen and that Rose just wanted to help her father. Their eyes were fixed on me, pressuring me to agree. And as I've always said, the majority wins. Reluctantly, I answered Rose. I sighed, defeated, and ran my hand through my short hair.

"Fine... I'll come. But I'm warning you, Rose, I'm against the idea. If anything happens, it's not going to be my fault."

A faint smile lit up her face and she nodded. I looked at the Doctor and something in his position and his face told me that he thought I'd done the right thing. Taking my long coat, I put it on without saying anything. The Time Lord flew his TARDIS, and after the hissing sound could no longer heard, Rose ran out. Before the Doctor could leave too, I grabbed his arm and pulled firmly so that he was facing me.

"I'm serious about all of this, Doctor. If something happens…"

"Nothing bad will happen." The Doctor tried to quell my fears, which he thought were groundless.

"Doctor! Rose is only a human, she doesn't know anything about the laws of Time! If she makes any mistakes, like—"

"Alvia!" Interrupted the Doctor. "Nothing will go wrong! Rassilon, you talk like _them_ …" He finally said before pulling his arm out of my grip and joining the blonde.

It was a low blow, and it hurt. To compare myself to his people was insulting, and it was vicious on his part. It's not my fault that I knew that Rose was going to save her father in defiance of the universe, and that she'll endanger the Doctor's life and the TARDIS. I swallowed my anger and did everything to try and calm down so he couldn't see how much he'd hurt me by comparing me to his people. I grabbed the TARDIS key that hung on my neck and fiddled with it, finding the action to be a source of comfort. Looking up, I thanked the TARDIS before finally stepping outside. Rose and the Doctor were standing around the corner, hiding from their past selves and watching her father. It was when I finally joined them that I could see the past versions of them.

"Right. That's the first us. It's a very bad idea to be here twice, so don't get spotted. She'll run away and he'll follow her, you'll go after."

"I can't do this," she said.

"You don't have to, but this is your last chance. We can't be here a third time," warned the Doctor.

But she didn't seem to listen. I silently put myself behind her, ready to catch her before she ran to save her father. He's about to get out of the car and I grabbed Rose's hips with all my strength as she started to move to run. She struggled for a moment before throwing her elbow into my nose violently, making me let her go. Her feet hit the pavement quickly as she ran, and I heard the Doctor shout as I held my nose, which had started bleeding.

"Oh… Fuck…"

Rose ran past their past selves, who stared at her as she pushed her father away from the car that was supposed to kill him. As I watched, I felt an enormous feeling of unease, and the past versions of the Doctor and Rose turned to look at me with a confused expression. The feeling of discomfort only got stronger, and I had to hold onto the wall with my free hand to keep myself steady. I looked back over at Rose to see that she and her father were talking. With a sigh, I pinched my nose harder as I felt a headache coming on. I could feel the throbbing pain as it matched its rhythm to my pulse.

The Tylers approached us and Peter handed me a handkerchief to wipe away the blood, suggesting that we go to his apartment so I could clean up in his bathroom. Rose automatically followed him, but I just wanted to leave, and as I took a step forward a wave of nausea overcame me, and my vision suddenly blurred. I felt my body starting to fall as my vision got worse, and the Doctor quickly reached out and caught me. Although I knew it was stupid to refuse his help, I pushed him away, still upset about his insult from earlier. Despite my feelings of anger at that moment, I knew that I would never be able to stay angry at him for long, especially since I knew exactly what was about to happen—that the world would disappear, little by little.

When we finally arrived at the apartment, Peter showed me to the bathroom, although I knew where it was. I thanked him with a nod before heading to the sink. Putting down the handkerchief (which was now almost completely red), I pulled my sleeves up and ran my hands under the water, before quickly rubbing the rest of the blood off of my face.

Outside the room, I could hear Rose repeat word for word what her mother had told her so many times, and as she finished speaking I heard the Doctor's deeper voice. Taking a deep breath, I returned my attention to my reflection, noticing that my skin was a lot paler than usual. The last time I looked like that was when I was ill.

When I was younger, I was affected by ophthalmic migraines (migraines linked to problems with vision), and I was in great pain. I had to be locked in complete darkness, without lights and without noise. The worst migraine I had was when I was still living in Lyon. My skin is already very white because I'm a redhead (and sometimes I think the sun is subtly trying to kill me, so I tend to stay inside when I can), but when I'm sick, I look even worse—in the worst of times, I can become almost translucent.

And you know what? That's how I looked at that moment. My skin, which looked healthy this morning when I'd looked in the mirror, had turned a sickening shade. I was translucent. And I was pretty sure it was because of the fucking migraine and nausea that were were refusing to go away. My fists clutched the edge of the sink, and I let it take my body weight for a moment as I drew in another shaky breath. A second later, my eyes fluttered closed, and I splashed water on my face, letting the sudden coolness revive my energy. With one last glance in the mirror, I turned off the water and left the bathroom.

The Doctor and Rose were still talking, their voices getting louder with every word. Not wanting to give my opinion on the situation, I simply walked between them, completely ignoring them both as I left the apartment to get some fresh air. I went down the stairs of the building and found myself in the yard of the estate. As I looked around me, I noticed that the area was much quieter than usual, and though there was a slight wind there was no noise, not even bird songs. The world had changed, I could feel it in everything around me, even in the water dripping off my face. I could feel it in the ground beneath my feet, and smell it in the air that passed through my clothes.

"You were right…"

I turned to see the Doctor on my right, hands in his pockets, a disappointed expression on his face.

"You were right to say that this could happen, and all I did was ignore and insult you. All because I was overconfident in myself and thought everything would go as I wanted it to."

I took his hand and squeezed it gently.

"Everyone makes mistakes, even Time Lords. But what sets you apart from everyone else is that you admit your mistakes…"

"You are so young and yet you always find the right words. You're so wise…" The Doctor mumbled appreciatively.

"I have to… Something made me see the world differently, with detachment almost ..."

He put his hand on my cheek and I leaned a little on it, enjoying the warmth of his hand.

"I'm sorry you have to take this role, I'm sorry you have to live it all."

"Don't be sorry about things that are out of your hands." I smiled a little at the Doctor before feeling my body start to collapse once again, but this time when he caught me I didn't push him away.

Another wave of nausea flooded my body as my headache suddenly worsened, making me groan and bury my face in the crook of his neck as I clenched my fists around the material of his leather jacket.

"… Via! Alvia!" The Doctor called out to me, worried, the hand that had been resting on my cheek gently tapping me and he begged me to answer him.

After a while, the pain subsided and—after swallowing—I finally tried to speak; my voice being muffled by the fabric of his T-Shirt.

"I don't feel so good…"

He helped me up, holding my hips to support me and to prevent me from falling again. My legs were shaking, and I felt like all my energy had been drained in an instant.

"TARDIS." The Doctor simply said.

I nodded and headed for the TARDIS. We took longer than we should have to get there, because I kept stumbling and trying not to fall over. I glanced over at the Doctor and our eyes met, and I could see his concern for me shining through, as well as his annoyance at the problems with time that Rose had just created.

As we stood in front of the TARDIS, I got out my key and unlocked the door, since he was too busy holding me steady to do it himself. To our horror, when the doors opened the TARDIS wasn't bigger on the inside. It was just a blue wooden police phone booth. The Doctor quickly let go of me as he entered and checked the walls frantically before stopping and saying Rose's name.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me along with him as he ran in the direction we had come. This was a bad experience for me because of my less-than-stable condition, and because I was finding it hard to stay upright. I wouldn't have been able to run if he wasn't still gripping my hand. But despite my pain we ran, and we kept running, until the roof of the church was visible. Turning the street corner, we saw the bride, Rose's parents, and Rose herself. The Doctor called her and as she turned around with a satisfied smile on her lips. The creature we were dreading appeared then; a Reaper. Rose saw it too and let out a loud scream but seemed to be frozen in her spot, which allowed the creature to see her and dive towards her. Thinking quickly, the Doctor let go of my hand and ran over to Rose, pushing her to the ground, while I dropped to the floor to avoid getting caught by the creature too.

Unfortunately for us, more of these things appeared and the people outside the church started screaming and trying to run away. Some of them were eaten, including someone who appeared to be the father of the groom. And as we humans were too curious, the people who were still inside started coming out to see what was going on. Some of them were eaten too. But the Doctor took the problem in his stride and shouted for everyone to get back inside the church which was a great idea, considering a Reaper had been headed towards us.

Once inside I helped the Doctor close the door and I dropped to the ground, back against the wood; my abdomen aching along with a high-level migraine. Good news: the nausea was gone. I put my hand on my face, and I could swear I was starting to have a fever. I got up somehow, remaining against the door. I didn't trust myself to stand alone without support, and my legs didn't seem too reliable.

"They can't get in. Windows and doors look old," noticed the Doctor. "The older it is, the stronger it is. What else? "

An acute scream was heard. It was the Reapers.

"Go and check the other doors! MOVE!" He shouted.

I joined the Doctor to check the other doors, since apart from one man and Peter, nobody was doing it. And I had done well to join the Doctor and continue without him, because Jackie decided to intervene by asking a lot of questions. I smirked, albeit faint, hearing the Doctor enjoy the fact that she will not remember him and telling her to shut up. I ran while leaning on the wall to reach an emergency door that I locked frantically. A Reaper was trying to get in at the same time and it was a fight against the clock to find out if the door would resist and suffer or give in. It resisted.

I joined the rest of the people as the Doctor was explaining the situation, standing in front of Rose. I slumped against one of the benches in the back and I settled down so that I was lying down, one leg bent, one arm on my face and the other one down to the floor caressing the edge of my long coat from time to time. My headache gradually took over and I gasped more than I breathed, worrying the Doctor when he came back to me, gently stroking my hair.

"How do you feel?" He asked softly.

"Worse…" I replied with a sob of pain.

He sat down beside me, one of his legs near my head, and pulled me to sit against him. He took his sonic screwdriver and scanned for a few seconds before reading the results. At the sound of the sonic I removed my arm from my face and watched him. His face became much darker after his knowledge of my condition. He put his screwdriver on the bench and looked at me, as if he wanted to remember me. And I was scared because it meant everything.

"Alvia …" Began the Doctor.

"I'm dying."

"No!" He denied in vain.

"Oh, please don't lie to me. I know that Rose's actions weren't without consequences."

"What do you mean?" He asked, frowning.

"Other than the paradox that has come true and the Reapers?" I tried to joke. "Listen… The fact that Rose's father is still alive changes everything and not just this world. But also my life. It was Jackie who took me home when her daughter was gone. If Peter was here, everything would have changed. Maybe because Rose would never have met you, and then you would never have had to save her. Or because they would eventually move out one day and nobody would be there to collect me… but also the most important thing. If this world was disappearing today, I would be dead. For some reason something brought me here, but if this world doesn't exist anymore what would I become after my accident?"

"When did you think about that?" He said impressed.

"Doctor, I come from a generation who was born and grew up with the internet and have the ability to write and publish. You can't even imagine what's on sites like Tumblr, Ao3 and ." I giggled knowingly.

And that's true. On Tumblr and on Ao3 and is a whole community of Doctor Who fans who join under the Whovian banner. And I prefer not to describe what we could find, because it's not possible. We are like one of the hyenas in the Lion King. The other two being respectively Sherlock and Supernatural. Although, I still haven't started the last series.

The Doctor preferred not to question me on these sites, so he acquiesced on my reduced knowledge about paradoxes and time travel.

"All I can deduce from it, is that this paradox which has the possibility of destroying the world if one does nothing and I—who doesn't exist yet—don't mix well. Now tell me, how bad is it and how much time do I have left?"

He swallowed suddenly before answering me, shaking hands. To comfort himself or comfort me.

"Your organs seem to stop one by one and you have four hours left at most ..." he said in a shaking voice. "And only if ... if the current situation doesn't get worse. "

I said nothing. What could I say? I was going to die in about four hours, suffering more. I opened my mouth to say something but the only thing that escaped was a heartbreaking sob stifled by the Doctor when he took me properly in his arms. I took his leather jacket in my fists and sank into his chest as much as I could, crying loudly.

The Doctor consoled me as best he could. As I wiped my tears with a trembling hand, Jackie—who was holding her baby—approached us.

"Can you take care of her?" She asked, placing the baby in my arms.

She left without waiting for our answer. Rude.

"Right, because it's totally time to leave your baby to complete strangers and what's more, someone who isn't in good health ..."

The Doctor chuckled at my comment and took the baby in his arms before heading for the space at the back of the church. I followed him and as soon as I arrived, he helped me so that I was sitting at the same level as the landau. I was higher than the Doctor until he decided to sit down too on the wooden ledge. I smiled, finding a smile on the baby's face as she laughed.

"This is the first time I've made a baby laugh …"

"Really?"

"One of my aunts had false twins. Once I had to take care of them it was a nightmare, I had one in my arms not knowing what to do! I am so bad with children."

"That bad? I can't believe you," smiled the Doctor.

"It's true! I'm such an idiot when it comes to children. It runs everywhere, makes noise, and cries for nothing. It's not like I didn't know what I was talking about. I went through this stage! Yeah no, leaving me with a child from 0 to 16 years old is not a good idea."

"Why 16 years old?"

"Generally at that age in France you start to be independent, work, revise for the baccalaureate and think about the future ... not to mention everything about love! On that point, I'm clearly not an expert."

"Ok I understand. No child and no lovers," guessed the Doctor crossing his arms.

"I said nothing about the subjects of love. I am open! It's just that ... the last years I lived were more focused on my studies and my series, I didn't really mind that ..."

As I looked at the wall in front of me, the Doctor decided to remain silent. As I felt my strength leave me little by little, I stuck to the Doctor, resting my head against his shoulder as best I could, given the difference in size. He put his arm around my waist and pulled me closer, so I could enjoy his warmth as I let out a tired sigh. The Doctor was talking to the baby when footsteps approached us and Rose appeared in my vision. The blonde looked at her much younger self, fascinated.

"Jackie asked us to keep it," he informed. "How times change, if she knew who I was she wouldn't trust me."

"And I'd better be careful," confessed Rose. "I think I just imprinted myself on Mickey like a mother chicken!" She laughed softly.

Not impressed by his comment, I only raised my eyebrows.

Rose moved suddenly to touch the baby but the Doctor pulled her back abruptly, his anger against her resurfacing. Rose looked at the offended Doctor, hurt at being violently sidelined for acting like a stupid girl. Anyone with a little common sense would know that touching one's self in the past is not a good idea, especially when the same person says it creates wounds in time itself.

"Don't touch the baby!" He growled as the reaper shrieked a little louder. "You're both the same person and that's a paradox, and we don't want a paradox happening. Not with these things outside. Anything news, anything weird, any disturbance in time makes them stronger. The paradox might let them in and kill Alvia at the same time."

"Can't do anything good, can I?" She muttered.

"Now that you mention it, yes. So, don't… touch… the baby!" Ordered the Doctor, addressing Rose as if she were an idiot

"I'm… not… stupid!" Contradicted Rose with narrowed eyes.

"You could fooled us," I sneered before coughing, spitting up my lungs.

"You can talk," she retorted, turning suddenly to me. "What have you been doing from the beginning except resting as if nothing had happened?"

"I'm bloody dying, Blondie! I won't run a marathon when I don't have long to live!"

She stepped back a bit, incomprehension on her face. The Doctor told Rose the consequences of her actions on my health, and after receiving the information she didn't know what to do. The Doctor sighed, running a hand over his face.

"I don't have a plan, nothing. No idea. I don't know what to do…" he lamented.

I put my arm around his waist and my other hand took his as I approached for a hug, comforting him as best as possible.

"You'll find something, I whispered. You're the Doctor, you always find a way ... even if it's at the last moment."

"The entire Earth is being sterilised. This, and other places like it, are all that's left of the human race. We might hold out for a while, but nothing can stop those creatures. They'll get through in the end. The walls aren't that old. And there's nothing I can do to stop them. There used to be laws stopping this kind of thing from happening, my people would have stopped this. But they're all gone. And I will know the same destiny…"

During the time he had spoken I had not looked away from him. His gaze showed his abandonment of the situation, not knowing what else to do to save us. Rose had tears in her eyes having understood how much her act had destroyed the world, if not the reality of this universe.

"If I'd knew…" groaned Rose.

"Tell me you're sorry…"

"I am…" She snorted. "I really am. I'm sorry. "

I pulled away so the Doctor could put a hand on her cheek. He smiled and pulled her into his arms for an apologetic hug that they both needed. Rose hugged tightly and I could see Baby Rose being really attentive to the exchange in front of her, in fact I think she was fascinated. It's kind of fun. My fun was short-lived because I felt intense heat from my chest, burning me and I hissed from this sudden sharp pain. I pulled the necklace out of my t-shirt before lifting my chain carrying a tungsten ring and my Tardis key that shone brightly with a glowing gold color.

The Doctor who had heard my hiss had turned away from Rose and stared wide-eyed at the TARDIS key, hope returning to his eyes. I picked up my necklace without the key touching my skin again and the Doctor took the chain, lifting it to the height of his eyes.

"It's the TARDIS key! It's still connected to the TARDIS!

"Told you, you always find a way out."

The Doctor smiled fully, his good mood resurfacing. He grabbed the back of my head with his free hand and kissed my forehead. I blushed at the touch of his lips on my forehead. Yup! Definitely a crush on the Doctor.

"Alvia, you are fantastic!"

The Doctor went to a high platform. You know, the place where priests, pastors and all the rest make their religious speeches. The Doctor spoke to the remaining guests who had all sat down to listen to him. He waved my necklace to show that we would not die here today. Which is pretty good news for me. As I said before, I want to die old in my sleep. I would have been the man who quoted Tyrion Lannister on how I would like to die.  _In my own bed, with a belly full of wine and a maiden's mouth around my cock, at the age of eighty._  The Doctor explained the situation to others despite the fact that almost everyone didn't understand what he was saying. After asking for a battery and reloading the one that the groom passed to him, the Doctor began to make a complicated and ultra-delicate contraption with the battery and the key. He basically wanted to find the place where the lock of the TARDIS would be, to insert the key and make Sexy appear and repair the church around us. It was when I heard the creaking of the TARDIS that I let out a laugh of joy, I had missed that sound so much! The TARDIS was materializing little by little when the Doctor went up on the platform and ordered everyone not to touch the key or the TARDIS at the risk of being zapped and fuck up any means of survival.

The only problem was the time of materialization. God was it long. I asked the Doctor, worried, if I would still be alive when the TARDIS was back. He laughed softly answering me that, yes, I was going to survive. So, we went back to the bottom, waiting. Rose leaned over to the Doctor to ask him.

"When time gets sorted out…"

"Everybody here forgets what happened. And don't worry, the thing that you changed will stay changed."

Uh, yeah, ok. And how am I going to survive in London? I'm sure Jackie, as generous as she can be, will not pick me up with her husband who is still alive. I mean, it's a mouth to feed and I know they don't run on gold. Although, if everything goes as in the episode, Peter will die again, as time wanted. I don't want to sound like a fucking insensitive sociopath or anything, but I would be much more reassured if he died. For the timeline of Rose and I, but also for the future, cyberman, Doomsday, Journey's End...

"You mean I'll still be alive," interjects Peter from behind us.

Rose turned to him and I put my arms on the back of the chair, face on my arms.

"When am I supposed to be dead?"

Rose looked at him without saying anything and Pete nodded understanding. He wasn't stupid. He could make the connection.

"That's why I haven't done anything with my life. Why I didn't mean anything."

"It doesn't work like that."

"Rubbish! I'm so useless I couldn't even die properly. Now it's all my fault."

"No, it's my fault," countered Rose quickly, putting her hand on her father's arm.

"No, love. I'm your dad. It's my job for it to be my fault."

Jackie suddenly appeared in the conversation, a disgusted look on her face. Now the confusion began. Ô Joie.

"Her dad? How are you her dad? How old were you, twelve? Oh, that's disgusting!"

I saw the Doctor roll his eyes and I understood. Family dramas? Not very much for me, thank you. The Doctor stood up and held out his hand to help me up. I managed to recover when the TARDIS started to appear but strangely she disappeared a little.

"Jacks, listen ...This is Rose," tried Pete.

"Rose? How sick is that?!" Spat Jackie softly, angry and upset. "You give my daughter a name already used? How many are like that? You call them all Rose?"

"Oh for God's sake, look! It's the same Rose!"

Pete took the baby from her mother's arms to place her in Rose's arms. The Doctor intervened, but it was too late. He pulled the baby out of Rose's arms but a Reaper appeared in the chapel. People screamed in fear and everyone gathered behind the Doctor, except me. The appearance of the creature made me lose all my strength and I fell to the ground. My vision became extremely vague, almost black. I could hardly breathe and I gasped as I coughed to get air into my lungs. I heard the Doctor speak to that thing and in a burst of courage, stupidity or anything else I got up and sprinted to push him to take his place. The last thing I remember is someone screaming and black suddenly invading me as I was eaten—disappearing from the whoniverse.

 

* * *

As the Doctor spoke to the parasite of time, he heard someone running. And as the creature rushed over him, he felt himself thrown and he fell to the side. In his fall, his eyes met Alvia's, who had taken his place. He screamed her name but she was gone, devoured and consumed by the Reaper. The guests screamed in horror and started running for their lives. The Reaper flew up in the air, walked around the church and collided with the semi-transparent TARDIS before disappearing—TARDIS included. The key didn't shine and the necklace fell to the ground.

The Doctor went to the necklace and retrieved it. His thumb caressed the now cold key. He seemed numb by the shock. He didn't hear Rose cry because of what had unfolded, nor did he see Rose get caught in the arms of his father. He ignored everything that wasn't him and the ring's necklace and the key he held in his hand.

He went to the stairs of the chapel before sitting down; giving up all hope of survival. He clasped the necklace in one of his hands and brought it to his trembling lips. He lowered his head, paying no attention to the rest of the world. He could not save them anymore—he did not want to. The only thing he could do was open the doors and hope that death would be fast. He even wondered if he would feel the same pain Alvia felt at the time of his death. Alvia...

He closed his eyes and trembled imperceptibly. She was dead and he could not do anything about it. She had warned him from the start that it was a bad idea—that she didn't want to be here. But he was too confident in his ability, had ignored his fears and worse, he had insulted her. Because of him, she fell ill, dying slowly in pain; because of him she sacrificed herself for nothing. It was her, however, who had the knowledge, her who was right from the start. And now she's gone.

 

* * *

Where am I?

There is nothing here. No high. No low. No left or right. Or is it the opposite?

No color. No darkness. And yet it's so bright. But dark at the same time.

Am I standing? Or lying down? Maybe sitting?

I can't hear myself breathing. I don't hear my heart pumping my blood. I feel nothing. I don't feel pain anymore. I'm hot and I'm cold. Am I dead?

Where am I? What is this place?

I looked for the last events in my memory. Aah ... yes ... I was devoured instead of the Doctor. I remember. Am I in the belly of the creature? Or in a kind of nothingness? Void? I have no answer to this question.

In the blink of an eye the atmosphere changed around me, I went from nothing to ... my house? Am I back home? After all that I lived? How did I arrive at my home?

I hear a sound, glasses that bang gently. I walk into my house, passing in the familiar hall and arriving in the open living room. It's early evening and I see my family. My father, my mother and my paternal grandmother. They're drinking, nibbling, talking, and happy. I see my dog, my sweet little dog, which I miss so much. He is between my father's legs, waiting for a piece of Spanish ham or a salty biscuit. They all look so happy, as if they had never been made aware of my death, of my disappearance.

I wanted to join them, and when I went to pet my dog, my hand became translucent and passed through him. My heart broke a little. I couldn't touch them? Why live such a hell then?

But my nightmare didn't stop there, not like that. It's when my grandmother asked my parents a question that my heart was finally broken and one of my biggest fears became real.

"So, you still do not plan to have children?"

Their negative response pierced me from all sides. Yet everything in the house indicated that I lived here, my room was still there, with posters of Doctor Who, Sherlock, Doctor Strange and Manga. With my paintings including the wave of Kanagawa I had for my 18 year birthday. My figurines of Harry Potter, MCU and Doctor Who, including two TARDIS. My books and all my drawing stuff and my clothes.

They had forgotten me, I had been stricken from their lives ... 18 years old almost 19 erased as have erased a message. I had been erased from their memories as Rory had been from Amy.

My tears kept flowing. I screamed, shouted that it was not fair. But nobody heard me, I was only a ghost, a shadow. I rolled into a ball, hiding my face in my lap, clawing my head and my hair with my hands. I was real but I was no longer for my family, my friends ... I was nothing. The person I had been before Alvia no longer exists.

My ordeal seemed to end when my room slowly disappeared, as if Thanos had reduced my world to ashes with a snap of his fingers. My body seemed so light, lifeless, gradually becoming consistent. I do not know when I started to breathe again, but it was like rising to the surface after diving as low as possible into the abyssal ocean, without air.

When I blinked, I was back in the church. My tears that had flowed hadn't existed. My cheeks were free of moisture. People were observing something going on outside. But at the entrance to the church was the Doctor. He didn't know that I was back. So, I advanced silently by his side, to take his hand in mine.

When our hands touched his stiffened for a moment, surprised, and he turned to me. He stared at me for a moment, his eyes wide and suddenly caught me in his arms, holding me tightly against him—his arms around my waist and back. I did the same, running my arms around his neck and thrusting my face into his shoulder. My feet flew off the floor as he lifted me up.

"I didn't think I would see you again," he whispered in my ear.

One of my hands gently stroked his hair and he put me down. I moved slightly to offer him a smile. He took my hand and we joined Rose who was standing near her father. He didn't let go of my hand all the way to the TARDIS, who had come back.

Later in the evening, Rose decided to spend some time with her mother at the estate. The Doctor who had promised not to leave, had parked the TARDIS on the roof. I decided not to leave the TARDIS that night. I also decided to lock myself in my room. I was currently in the shower and had been for an hour. The water was hot against my skin but it allowed me to forget the cold that I felt today. I got out of the shower and put on my night clothes. I rubbed my hair gently in a towel to remove the water before settling into my bed. I took my headphones and my phone and put on some music. I didn't pay attention to what I had put on, but anything was good to distract me.

I listened to so much of the Doctor Who's soundtrack on one of my personal playlists, that I didn't pay attention to the time passing. I didn't, of course, hear the Doctor knock on my door and enter my room because I didn't give him an answer.

It was when his hand rested on my shoulder that I jumped in surprise. I removed my headphones almost tearing them. I had turned to see him sit on the edge of my bed, he was not wearing his leather jacket. His eyes were worried.

"Are you all right? I haven't seen you since our return in the TARDIS. "

Not trusting my voice I gently nodded. But since I was about to be in tears, the Doctor knew that I was lying to him. He put his hand on my cheek, turning my face to his.

"Tell me what's going on, Alvia ... please."

I swallowed hard before opening my mouth.

"I saw them ... my parents ... I was in a sort of darkness, Void before appearing in my house as a ghost ... I couldn't touch them, nor talk to them ... But I could see them and hear ... and ... and ... they forgot me! I burst into tears. I was stricken from their memories! I no longer exist for them!"

Crying with hot tears, the Doctor caressed my back while murmuring comforting words.

"I have nothing left! ... No house ... no family!" I cried.

The Doctor held me closer, understanding the feelings. He was alone too, and he never would have wanted someone to feel almost the same. His people were dead and I was dead for my world judging by the suppressed memories and all traces of myself vanishing. It was as if I had crossed a spatio-temporal fissure.

Tired by my tears and sorrow, I fell asleep in the Doctor's arms. I didn't see him settle me in my bed and take my phone to stop the music. I didn't see him freeze for a moment when he saw the cover of the album of the music playing before pressing the stop button.

I didn't see when he rested the phone on my bedside table before leaving my room. My phone showed Gallifrey with 12 TARDISs in the air and the Doctor's twelve regenerations from the first to the eleventh—integrating the one he didn't consider as the Doctor—all of them looking back at Gallifrey except the eleventh who was looking at the camera. The phone displayed this image before turning off a few minutes later.


	8. The Empty Child

Several months had passed since the incident with the Reapers. For about a month, I was in a sort of mourning, more like a depression. I ate less than usual, I didn't make sarcastic or humorous remarks or references to pop culture. I even ended up worrying Rose! The Doctor ended up taking things into his hands and took me to a heavenly planet that glowed like a blue firefly at night. He had asked me for an explanation, or he would take me back. After discussing how I felt, how I was going to live with this weight on my conscience, everything is back to before. I was again the small red"haired girl who liked to comment, criticize the Doctor's conduct by reminding him that he had a driving manual, who loved sweet black tea and chocolate. I was again the girl I was before but I had this sadness in my eyes, a kind of shadow that anyone who had a great sorrow possessed. The Doctor had that shadow in his eyes, but mine wasn't so pronounced.

During these last few months, we ran for our lives many times, visited alien markets, explored planets and whole systems across time and space. I even met important human figures: JRR Tolkien, JK Rowling, Pythagoras, Hippocrates ... and it is in some ways thanks to me that the oath of Hippocrates exists, though I didn't study to become a doctor. What was funny was that the Doctor also took the oath, but since the very first oath was like the promise he made by taking his name, I do not think it changed much.

I say several months, but in fact I completely lost the notion of time. All I know is that a lot of time had passed because of my hair. I, who had previously a pixie cut, had my hair now come down to the middle of the neck. I had to wear a rubber band on my wrist, because sometimes I would feel my hair tickle my neck. It would absolutely be necessary for me to go to the hairdresser when we head back to see Jackie and Mickey.

I tugged on a lock of hair with my fingers, watching the length in the mirror of my bathroom. My hair, though still slightly damp, waved slightly and I loved it (if I had to compare my cut with that of an actress, it would be the cut of Jodie Whittaker as thirteenth Doctor but a little more wavy and red). On one side, I had silver"colored hair that contrasted. I always joked that it was my Targaryen side coming out. Speaking of Targaryen, I'd seen the last two seasons of Game of Thrones, too. I loved the end and I still wonder if it is similar to that of my old world.

After studying my reflection in the mirror, satisfied with my cut, I went to my dressing room. I studied my clothes for a few minutes, wanting to have a style a little different from usual. I took a navy blue long sleeve shirt and a slim pair of leggings that were embroidered on the front and the side of the thighs. The embroidery was red cherry blossoms and a fox made in a Japanese style. I had slipped on my pair of red Converse that were well worn—the white of the rubber had turned almost beige and had black traces and dust. The soles were almost smooth and the fabric was a little dirty but the red was always bright. I decided to put on a little makeup, putting on eyeliner and very little mascara.

I barely had time to put my mascara on my desk when a violent tremor made me collapse on the ground. I ran for my coat and phone, and then ran out of my room—sprinting to the console where the Doctor and Rose were. The Doctor was driving the Tardis while Rose was circling the console, trying to hold on to something. I threw my coat to one of the coral pillars and joined them.

"Why is the TARDIS shaken in all directions as if it were a salt shaker?" I exclaimed. "Is there a problem? Nah, in fact there is definitely a problem, what is the emergency?"

"Something hit the TARDIS," Rose said after being taken aback from a shock.

"The TARDIS detected it on a mauve alert," the Doctor explained.

"Mauve?"

"Colour universally recognized for the danger," I replied with a big smile.

Oh, how I was looking forward to this adventure! Not necessarily for the gas mask kid who was looking for his mom calling with the most creepy voice possible, but more for Captain Jack Harkness. The only "fictitious" American captain I find fuckable. There's Steve Rogers too, but meh ... a little too pure and patriotic for me. Besides, Jack looks like a Disney prince who sleeps with other Disney prince.

The Doctor looked at me quickly before returning to his screen not forgetting to ask me the question that had been on the tip of his tongue.

"Foreknowledge?"

"Oh, yes! Oh, you're gonna love this one!" I laughed happy. "So many references that I could use!"

The Doctor smiled, happy to see me fully thrilled and impatient but also because he too became impatient to see what awaited him and what I had promised him. The excitement of a good and happy adventure.

And what was rather amazing with Rose, is that despite this kind of discussion I had with the Doctor, she never asked us what we were talking about. Which means that she still had no idea where I came from.

"What happened to red?" Ask Rose.

"It's typically human. For others it's camp. Oh, the number of misunderstandings it creates, those red alerts!"

"But if the red is camp, the lgbt flag is what?" I said confused.

"Just a rainbow flag that looks pretty and represents a big community. "

I saw Rose silently pronounce the word "lgbt" wondering what it was. I got close to her and the Doctor to see on the screen a large cylinder that was crossing the space quickly. That's why the TARDIS is in motion, the Doctor was trying to drive the TARDIS alone. Maybe I should ask him to teach me to drive Sexy, it would be useful in a crisis.

"I connected the TARDIS to this thing by hacking it's flight computer. Wherever it goes, we go there too."

"Is it safe?"

"Totally."

The Doctor went to mash some buttons and the console exploded suddenly, making me back away quickly so as to not to be burned.

"I would not call this trip safe, but at the same time, have we had at least one safe adventure?" I declared teasing our way of life.

"Ok, reasonably. I should have said reasonably."

"Still not the right description," I maliciously sang.

Still watching the screen, I saw the cylinder enter the Time Vortex, just like the Doctor. Moreover, speaking of the Time Vortex, I can't even describe it because it looks like all the Vortexes of the opening series from 2005, together, including that of the 13th Doctor. It was indescribable, literally.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no! It's jumping time tracks, it moved away from us!"

"And what exactly is that thing?" Rose finally asked

"No idea," answered the Doctor typing on the keyboard.

"Why are we pursuing it, then?"

"Why not?" I said.

"It's mauve, dangerous. And about 30 seconds from central London."

After following the cylinder, the Doctor finally began to materialize in London so that we could look for the thing in the city. I had time to put on my coat that had been on the coral, despite all the capsizing of Sexy, and removed a lock of hair from my face before going out.

"Do you know how long we can knock through space and time without having to bump into Earth?"

"Five days? Or is it just when there is no more milk?" Joked Rose.

And it doesn't get better with time, I swear everyone is attracted to this planet, seriously."

"Spoilers Alvia. So many species all over the universe and it has to come out of a cow!"

"If you're not satisfied, you can ask Sontarans to pass you milk. I heard that they can produce  _magnificent quantities of lactic fluid._ _"_

"Oh, now that's just disgusting Alvia …" he said with an air of disgust on his face.

I burst out laughing. He didn't even realize I was quoting someone.

It was dark, a little cold and wet. The Doctor looked around to finally go in one direction, moving us away from the TARDIS. As we walked, Rose and the Doctor were talking about the thing we were following not long ago. We were about a month late.

"So what's the plan? A detection of alien technologies?"

"Rose, it crashed in the middle of London in a big bang, I'm just going to ask."

"Right, because you're going to find someone to question at this hour …" I whispered, rolling my eyes.

The Doctor fumbled in his pocket to take out his famous psychic paper which he showed to Rose.

"Dr. John Smith, Ministry of Asteroids …" she read. "Psychic paper. It says…"

"What we want, I know, Rose."

I moved to see the paper and the Doctor showed it to me. The paper was initially white before finally showing me what the Doctor wanted to show. I read the words and I was fascinated by what I saw.

"Awesome!

"Not really Spock, you know? Asking?"

We arrived next to a door and we could hear music and laughter behind it. The Doctor took out his screwdriver and scanned the door to open it. He commented on Rose's t-shirt and she answered him. As they talked, I heard a child's voice calling for her mom. I glanced to see if they had heard and of course they did not. And the voice was much creepier in real life than in the series. I know someone who will surely have nightmares, in fact. It's me, by the way. Hi!

The Doctor finally opened the door and walked in followed by Rose. He called to me so I could come but I didn't move. I put my hand on my face, sighing.

"Of course ... Of course, it's up to me to get caught by Jack in the air! The things we do for those we love," I complained.

So I turned quickly, looking for the ladder to climb on the roof where the kid was, whose name I forgot. James ... Jonah ... Jaime ... Jamie! The kid was really high up, how could he climb that high? I mean, teleporting is one thing but getting on the roof of a house? The kid is not Harry Potter who escaped his cousin. A rope entered my field of vision and looking up I saw that it was the damn balloon.

No, really, the things I do for the sake of the character ... Hey! I sound like Jaime Lannister. Except that I don't throw kids through a tower. Although I might well do it, but morally and ethically it's not me at all and then I risk becoming like him. Yeah, no ... bad idea.

I climbed the rope holding myself as best as possible, since I never did well in sports. I did some climbing, so I know there are things you can't do with a rope, but it's way too thick to do anything. I clumsily rolled the rope around one of my legs and swore by feeling the cold biting through my coat, which I forgot to close. A gust of wind made the balloon move and any chance of leaving was reduced to nothing. I just had to hope that I didn't fall and die.

Well, despite the situation the view is quite nice, if we forget the Nazi planes bombing the city quickly approaching me. Live the story, he said. It will be fascinating he said.

I flew over London, which became more and more chaotic as the number of Nazi planes increased with the number of explosions. The city that was previously so quiet ago was turned into hell of fire and ashes. St. Paul's Cathedral was under me when I felt my hands hurt, burning on the thick rope. I also held the rope so tight that my knuckles were white and hurt. The planes passed too close to me in my opinion and I was not grateful. I was really going to fall because of those shits there.

"Damn it, I hope Jack will be here if I don't give up on my life!" I mumbled suddenly worried.

I calculated my remaining strength for this ride, but people, I suck at math. My strength suddenly vanished and I held the rope, screamed in fear as I fell until I was caught by a blue beam. It was time!

"It's okay! I've got you!"

"No shit Sherlock! Bring me back to the mainland!"

"I just program the descent model, try to stay still and keep your hands and feet inside the field!"

"What do you think I was going to do? Harlem Shake!" I retorted sarcastically.

"Oh, and could you turn off your phone? It interferes with my instrument."

I snorted but I still took my phone and put it in airplane mode. Jack seemed to think that I had turned it off since he thanked me anyway.

"At the risk of repeating myself, let me down quickly!"

"Are you ready? Hold tight!"

"To whaaAAAAAAT!"

I was pulled brutally to the ground, and it wasn't a pleasant sensation. And some time later I was caught by a pair of strong arms. I coughed suddenly while being swayed gently.

"It's good. I'll hold you! You're fine! You're fine!" Jack reassured me. "The field had to shake your head a little."

I glanced at Jack to see that he had his bastard Colgate smile. This wasn't me who described Jack like that. It's on the official description of Doctor Who.

"Oh my god, stop smiling you're give me a headache," I grumbled. "It's not possible to be so happy during this time."

"Maybe I smiled because I have a beautiful woman in my arms."

"All the girls are beautiful for you, let go. Now please let me stand up."

"You seem to know me, but I don't remember to have the opportunity to meet you before."

"Don't worry, me either."

Jack rested me but still with his arms around me in case I could faint, which seemed rather a good idea since it seemed that my vision became more and more vague. If I had to faint with Jack in my presence, I may as well make an imitation of the 13th Doctor right after his regeneration. Besides the Doctor was not there for the moment. I put my index finger in one of my nostrils inhaling deeply while raising a hand to stop Jack in his tracks.

"I think I'll faint in two minutes, wait! Forget the two minutes. Nineteen seconds ... oh, this nose is so unreliable."

I really didn't think I had the perfect timing but I did faint at the right moment.

I woke up to find myself lying in a bed in the dark, despite some small lights of color and beeps coming from my left. I ran my hand over my face, remembering my last memories to sigh, reminding myself that I was with Jack Harkness. I got up and stood up, holding onto the cold metal wall of the ship.

"Better?" Asked Jack softly

"Yeah, although fainting wasn't part of the program ... Is there a way to turn on the lights?"

At my words, Jack did what I asked, and the ship lit up with a pleasant light. It was like lighting two bedside lamps in a room, it lights up a little but nothing more. But I did see Jack's perfect face, which was the perfect copy of John Barrowman. His hair was dressed in a cut of the time and he wore an American aviator outfit from the Second World War. Not that I know a lot about this period. Jack showed his bastard smile, happy and flirting. And he was not wearing his army coat.

I walked closer, arms folded before letting myself fall gently to the side to hold myself against a wall. A slight mocking smile settled on my lips as I continued to watch Jack. I did not say anything until he finally broke down and finally spoke.

"So ... Don't bother to thank me for saving your life, that's quite normal," boasted the 51st century man.

"It's normal to save a girl who wandered in the air with a balloon during the Blitz in London during the Second World War? I wonder what is not commonplace for you…"

"And you're clearly not a girl from the region ... mobile phone, clothes with fabrics and a style that doesn't exist yet …" He examined. "Who are you then?

"You are the gentleman, you first," I said, gesturing.

He fumbled in his pockets before taking out what at first seemed to be his ID card or possibly a psychic paper.

"Captain Jack Harkness. 133rd Squadron Royal Air Force. American Volunteer."

"Liar," I sang, not even bothering to read the paper.

I returned the paper to Jack, who sat up surprised.

"How do you know I'm lying?" He asked, frowning.

"First of all, you have a bloody spaceship and you seem to know how to use it, which is clearly not common during the 20th century! Then, you have just given me a piece of psychic paper, something that a friend of mine uses quite often, which offers me not—without subtlety—to do things with you which I am in the habit of refusing. My first argument being my age. I am too young for you. Also, the real Jack Harkness died during this war. You only took his name. And last thing, I know you in the future, isn't time travel wonderful?"

During all my explanation, Jack didn't say a word. But his mood fell when I mentioned that his name wasn't true and that I was talking about the time travel. His hand slipped slowly towards his weapon without pulling it out.

"You know me, then?" Guessed Jack.

"Calm down! No need to be on your guard. You can trust me ... well as much as you can trust a girl you still don't know. I am Alvia, by the way. Hello!"

"You know me in the future," he said, impatient.

"It is true what I said. Weeeell... In fact, I know that your future self knows me," I chatted. "And don't try to ask. Spoilers. Let's go back to the main subject and remove your hand from your weapon please, you're stressing me out."

"I could say the same, Alvia ... You seem to really know me well."

"Knowing is a big word," I rectified. "Let's say that I have the knowledge but not the experience of the practice. And really don't try to guess  _le pourquoi du comment_ , it's very complicated."

Jack withdrew his hand from his gun and I relaxed my muscles that tensed I don't know when. He glanced at the paper before giving an amused laugh.

"Never let your mind wander when you put psychic paper back," advised Jack laughing. "The paper you returned tells me that you are a girl who has a huge thing for English men preferably with an accent, deep voice, cheekbones or eyes with particular colors. And you don't have time for an American Disney prince who sleeps with other Disney princes."

"Oh merde..." I murmured shame as I put my hand on my now red face.

"Actually, the word you use is 'fantasy.'"

"Ok, stop. I don't need to hear more," I cut in, laughing in embarrassment. "Let's start from scratch, forgetting the psychic paper, okay?"

"That'd be better, wouldn't it?" He laughed as he got up.

I wanted to sit down somewhere and when I put my hand on the wall I pulled it off at once, shaking it and hissing in pain. Looking, I could see marks from burns. How could I miss this? No, really, I know I'm pretty resistant to pain, but coming from my hands that I was constantly moving about, how could I ignore that slightest bit of pain?

"The rope burned your hands?" He asked.

"Yeah ... have you some cream and bandages?"

"I've got better," says Jack, waving me forward. "May I have your hands for a moment?"

"As long as you treat me, you can have my hands," I said with humor.

Jack made me sit by his side and kept my hands in place by tying them with his scarf. He pressed a button behind him and a beep was heard before a sphere of golden mini fireflies appeared in my injured palms. They were magical and as the sphere changed size several times, a pleasant warmth was felt in my hands, as if I passed my hands in front of a fire. After a few seconds, Jack pressed the button again and everything disappeared, wounds gone like the magical fireflies.

"Nanogenes. Subatomic robot, in the air. They have just repaired three layers of your skin."

"Thank you very much," I said sincerely.

Jack stood up with a smile. "You can stop acting now. I can recognize a Time Officer from a kilometer away. "

Of course he takes me for a Time Agent ... Jack sometimes you're frustrating. Today more than ever.

"Although, I don't doubt your experience on the recognition of these Agents, I correct you at once I am only a lambda time traveler. I'm here because my friend decided to follow a purple thing that hit us."

"So, let's get to work and have a drink on the balcony."

Jack pulled out a bottle of champagne from I don't know where, and indicated to me the glasses that I had to take. He pushed a button and a door opened on top so he could go out. I followed him and as soon as my head was outside I could see that I was standing on something invisible, which is very disturbing for me. I don't know how I managed to stand up. In the end, Jack made his ship visible to everyone and he opened the bottle with a powerful blow before serving alcohol.

"First rules with the invisible ships, always park at a place that we can remember," I recited fascinated.

We sat on his ship and Jack took his time, drinking his glass.

"You don't drink?"

"I prefer to have my sharp senses and clear mind in business. You should do the same."

"I try never to talk business with a clear head," he said as he finished his glass before getting up. "Do you travel alone? Do you have the right to negotiate with me?"

"It all depends on what to negotiate," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"I have something for the Time Agency. Something they would like to buy. Are you able to pay me?"

"As I said before, I'm not from The Time Agency. But keep going, you interest me. If you manage to convince me we will go see the head of my tour group."

"You aren't alone then?"

"Naah. I travel with a man and a woman. We're just friends, nothing else," I said before he said something. "But you might be interested in Rose ... She's blonde."

Jack raised his eyebrows, clearly interested. I wanted to check the time on my phone before remembering that the clock will unfortunately never be on time because of time travel; and it was too dark for me to read on my watch.

"I think it's getting late, what time is it?"

Jack took a camera out of his pocket and operated it. Big Ben suddenly lit up and rang.

"I don't think it's a good idea to attract Nazi planes here ..." I groaned.

Jack suddenly put his hands on my waist. Well yeah ... but no. I would like to say that I am flattered but since it's Jack, I can forget. I wanted to withdraw by putting my hands on him and pushing back but he grabbed one of my hands and kissed it.

"Jack …"

"Mm-hm?"

"If you don't let me go this second, I swear I will find a way to make you a eunuch."

No sooner said than done, Jack pulled back and before turning to me, gadget in hand.

"Do you like Glenn Miller?"

And besides hi strength... he really doesn't want to let me down for his con. A melody is played and Jack suddenly went back to my side to dance. I sighed with spite, relaxing slightly. More to enjoy this moment before returning to serious business. One of his hands rested on my back while the other held one of my hands. My free hand rested on his shoulder and I followed his swing.

"We are in 1941, at the peak of the Blitz. The German offensive is raging, but there are not only bombs falling from the sky: A fully equipped Chula warship, the last of its kind, armed to the teeth. And I know where it is because I parked it."

"Of course you do," I said sassily. "Isn't it impractical?"

"If the agency can offer a good price, I can go get it for you. But in two hours, a German bomb will fall on it and destroy it forever. This is the deadlines and this is our deal. Shall we discuss money?"

"You know what?" I exclaimed suddenly.

"What?"

"You convinced me, let's go get my traveling companions, they are the ones who manage the money. But I have no idea where they are right now."

"No need to worry, I'll do a scan for aliens technologies."

I clapped my hands in appreciation, finally someone looking for alien technology! Not that I'm against asking people if they've seen something different, it's just that in the second world war, asking if something has fallen while making a big boom is perhaps not the best idea.

"Let me clarify one last little thing. You work on your own, if I understood correctly?"

"Oh, it's hard," he said suddenly taking me by the waist. "I prefer to see myself as a criminal."

"Okay, that's good. I got it. Now do what you have to do preferably by letting me go, please!" I growled suddenly.

He released me and pulled up one of his sleeves to hit his vortex manipulator. While the thing beeped continuously with a shrill sound, we went back inside. The manipulator stopped beeping, having found a source in a hospital. Jack put on his coat and I took the opportunity to close mine. I was a little cold.

"Your companions, who are they exactly?"

"Well, I told you about Rose. Her name is Rose Tyler, she is blonde and comes from London. Then there is the Doctor, just the Doctor."

"And what does this Doctor look like?"

"He's tall, wears a leather jacket all the time, and has a rather charismatic face, and he is much older than me."

Jack gave me a look and a smirk that seemed to insinuate something. And you know, despite what I think, guess etc. ... I'm not Sherlock, I can't deduce the emotions and subtleties of a face. Which makes me totally unaware of what Jack is trying to tell me.

He suddenly took my arm and teleported me to a building—a hospital of what I could see. So ... hospitals at night I have a pretty good deal of disagreement with, especially when it's during a war and a gas masked kid runs around the city looking for his mum.

Jack called out and I did the same. After five minutes, we were joined by the Doctor who was relieved to see me alive and healthy, as well as Rose who seemed less happy to see me but her discontent was forgotten when she saw Jack behind me.

"Good evening! We aren't interrupting?" Starts the American, holding out his hand to the Doctor. "Captain Jack Harkness. I have heard a lot about you. And you too, Rose Tyler," said Jack, winking at the blonde, who blushed and smiled.

"Stop it!" I said rolling my eyes. "Sorry, Doctor. I was found by him and he seems determined to believe that we are Time Agents. "

The Doctor nodded.

"And it's a real pleasure to meet you, Doctor!"

Jack patted the Doctor in the shoulder warmly before leaving, taking Rose by his waist. He left the Doctor with me, puzzled.

"Time Agents?"

"He is rather stubborn, I grant it. He thinks we are because of my clothes and my phone."

"Where were you, by the way? We are in the middle of the Blitz. This is not the time to walk around."

"Who said I was walking?" I retorted, starting to walk. "I went to ride a damn balloon, there's no better way to see town," I snickered.

"What?"

"Never mind! More importantly, Harkness told me that the thing that struck us is a Chula ship."

"Chula?" Repeated the Doctor, stopping.

I waited for the Doctor before he started again quickly and he led us to the room where he was before. It was a large room with several single beds on which were lying patients and hospital staff, all wearing a gas mask. I shuddered.

The Doctor explained the situation when Jack asked why everyone was lying with the mask on his face. Jack decided to scan them with his manipulator which made its shrill sound as usual. A noise that I did not like too much since my ears buzzed when the scanner was on. Jack scanned one of the bodies before declaring.

"It's impossible. How could this happen?"

"What kind of Chula ship landed here?" Asked the Doctor seriously.

"He said it was a warship," I said. "He stole it, of course, and dropped it somewhere where only he knows where it is and a bomb will fall on it unless we make him an offer."

"What kind of warship?" Continued the Doctor.

"Why is it important?" Shot Jack. "It has nothing to do with all of this!"

"On the contrary! It started where the bomb fell!" The Doctor roared angrily. "There is a big problem! What kind of warship?" He repeated.

"An ambulance!" Finally the captain let out, annoyed and angry before turning on his manipulator. "Look!"

A flickering blue hologram of the ship suddenly appeared over Jack's wrist.

"That's what you chased in the Time Vortex. It's a wreck! I wanted to make you think it was valuable, but it's empty, I'm sure. It's nothing but a shell. It was me who sent it to you. I saw your ship. I love this retro look, by the way. Nice panel. I sent you a bait."

"Bait?" Asked Rose.

"I wanted to sell it to you and then destroy it before being unmasked," explained Jack.

"It's not a warship?"

"There are ambulances in wars, Rose…" I hissed as if she was stupid for not knowing.

I caught a glare from her and Jack was watching Rose with a little condescension before moving to leave and turn around to tell us the whole truth.

"It's a con, a con and I'm a conman! I thought you were Time Agents but that's also wrong, huh?"

"At last he gets it," I said with disdain. "It's not for lack of having repeated it several times, but it seems that you don't listen. As I said, we are average time travellers," I finished with a gesture to us.

I heard a sound of disgust from Rose about how I described ourselves

"Ah ... I should've known, you make very local color, it's true. The girl with the flag, passes. But U-boat Captain! And I don't even talk about the fox girl, besides since we got here you looked at me strangely, what's wrong?" He finally got angry.

"I'm disappointed," I said simply uncrossing my arms and putting my hands in pockets.

I caught everyone's eye with my statement, of course, saying that I was disappointed in Jack would draw their questions. And what I said was true, I was disappointed with Jack. From the beginning, I expected him to be the Jack I knew in Doctor Who and in Torchwood, but this Jack is not bitter to have been abandoned, he is not the man who cannot die. He's not the one who takes care of me and makes sure that I can access things that I didn't think I could have: ID, access to the meeting at Downing Street. This Jack Harkness was young and I forgot to take that into account.

"And it's my fault, I was expecting too much of you but you're so young compared to the Jack I know."

"Let's talk about that, by the way! You say you know me but I think you've been lying to me all along," he pointed angrily.

"Me, Lying?" I exclaimed. "Have you seen yourself?! You planned to sell us a scam that caused a lot of damage here and refuse to take responsibility!"

"Everything that happened here has nothing to do with that ship and again, nothing with me!"

"The DNA of human beings is being rewritten because of an idiot ... and it's you!"

I heard Rose whisper to the Doctor how I knew about him, but the Doctor didn't answer her and instead he came to my side and spoke again. I took the opportunity to calm down.

"There is a kind of virus that converts human beings into these things," he said, nodding towards the bodies. "What we don't know is, why? What's the point? "

Rose went to observe one of the bodies, heading towards a nurse, when suddenly several bodies rose before everyone got up, calling for their mummy. My blood drained instantly from my face and I quickly approached the Doctor, not hesitating for a moment to take his hand as comfort. Despite my knowledge, this didn't prevent me from being afraid and feeling emotions. And our current situation was scary on the screen is clearly not reassuring in real life.

The bodies approached slowly but surely towards us. Jack and Rose joined, standing behind us and the Doctor pulled me behind him without letting go of my hand.

"Don't let them touch you," the Doctor informed.

" Why not?" Asked Jack.

"Cause you would become like one of them," I let go with a trembling voice.

The bodies came closer to us, like zombies. They called all their mothers in a macabre symphony. I closed my eyes, shaking his hand and his leather coat with my other hand.


	11. The Doctor Dances

"Go to your room!" Scolded the Doctor as if he was addressing a disobedient child.

I opened my eyes in surprise at his intervention, hope blooming in my chest. The masked people stopped talking and moving at once.

"Go to your room!" Repeated the Doctor.

The zombies bent their heads to one side like a young scolded child who didn't really understand everything.

"I mean it! I am very, very angry with you! You even made your mummy very sad!" He scolded, coming up to me and hugging me as if I were a crying mother.

Having no choice but to play his game, I put my hands on the eyes and lean forward a little, like a weeping angel. I simulated a sob that sounded really wrong, but seemed real to people with a gas mask. The bodies, by the way, looked at me since the Doctor mentioned me as their mother.

The Doctor suddenly pointed a random direction as he finished his act.

"Go... To… Your… ROOM!"

Miraculously, all turned away gently and returned to their beds without a sound. As soon as everyone was in bed and we were sure they weren't going to get back up, we relaxed. I sighed with relief and I landed harshly on the floor, enjoying the coolness of the stone.

"I'm very glad that worked. Those would've been terrible last words."

"By the way, do I look like a mother to you?" I asked to the Doctor.

"I had to improvise," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

I give up and I lay flat on the floor, my arms spread, legs crossed and my gaze on the ceiling. Rose went to sit next to me and Jack went to the free chair at the center. I unfortunately couldn't stay where I was because the Doctor grabbed my arm and pulled me up saying I shouldn't lie on the floor like a homeless person. Technically I am; I'm a homeless person. I've been squatting at Jackie's since I came in this world and I've been squatting in the TARDIS since he wanted me to be with him, although I'm starting to see the TARDIS as my new home recently.

I headed for the office, packing things up a bit before sitting on a table and crossing my legs. I looked at the Doctor, daring him to change my place.

"Why do they all wear gas masks?" Asked Rose a little bit confused.

"They're not," corrected Jack. "They're made of flesh and blood."

Rose looked a bit disgusted at the revelation and I suddenly started thinking about something. The transformation must have been extremely painful. I didn't want to imagine the pain and the fear of transformation.

"How was your con supposed to work?" Asked the Doctor.

"It's really very simple," began Jack. "I'm looking for a harmless piece of space-junk. I'm attracting a Time Agent who thinks it's expensive and we set a price. As soon as he has paid half, oops! A German bomb falls on it, destroying it forever. He'll never see his purchase, he won't know that I have conned him. I buy him a drink with his money while together we curse his _bad_  luck. The perfect con," finished Jack.

"Yeah… perfect," admitted the Doctor reluctantly.

"The London Blitz is great for self-cleaning, but Pompeii is nice for holidays. But it is better to set an alarm clock for volcano day!" Laughed Jack.

The Doctor said nothing and kept staring at him, boiling with anger.

I think I laughed the first time Jack made this joke in the series, but after seeing the episode of Pompeii, I always had trouble with this joke. He didn't know, after all, that so many were killed in order to save the planet. The Doctor and Donna, did this together.

Jack stopped laughing when he realized that the Doctor was giving him a look of disapproval.

"Look around you. This is what your piece of space-junk did."

"It was a rusty medical carrier, it was empty." Said Jack, defending himself again and again.

The Doctor turned and started walking towards the door.

"Alvia. Rose."

"We leaving?" Asked Rose.

"We go up," corrected the Doctor, waving his fingers pointed at the ceiling.

Rose followed the Doctor quickly, and as I came down from the table Jack grabbed my wrist and spoke.

"I even programmed the flight computer so that it wouldn't fall on anyone. I didn't hurt anyone!" Defended Jack. "I don't know what's going on here, but believe me, I had nothing to do with it. Alvia, I assure you it's not my fault."

"I'll tell you what's going on," said the Doctor. "You forgot to turn on your alarm, it's the volcano day!"

A siren went off in the distance. I never thought I'd hear that sound, even in wartime.

"What's that?" Asked Rose.

Seriously, Rose? How much don't you know about your history? A siren like that? Especially at this time?  _It's obvious_ , I thought without saying anything. And yet the words were on my tongue, ready to go out.

Sometimes Rose really shocked me. I know she hadn't finished school but I wonder if she was even paying attention in class.

"The all-clear," said Jack without emotion.

"I wish," assaulted the Doctor looking at him before leaving with Rose at his heels.

I freed myself from the soft hold of Jack.

"You programmed it so that it didn't fall on anyone alive …" I said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, Jack… Everything…"

The Doctor called me and I had to go join him. I nodded and Jack went with me to join them. How many times did I mention that the Doctor was fast? Not enough, I think. Jack, Rose and I were running to follow him and I don't know how, we managed to lose him. I was in the back of course, running. Rose and Jack passed a staircase where footsteps sounded, so I made a slight turn to climb the stairs where the Doctor was. He leaned back and suddenly spoke, making both stop on their paths.

"Have you got a blaster?"

Arriving at the stairs, Jack answered affirmatively, before climbing. We ran up six floors. I wasn't physically ready to do it, so when we arrived at door 802 I leaned over my lap, hacking up my lungs and panting for air. Jack unlocked the door at the Doctor's order, when he didn't want to use his screwdriver. Jack's weapon made a perfect square where the lock was a few seconds ago. The door opened.

"Sonic Blaster, 51st century," observed the Doctor. "Villengard's Weapons Factory?"

"You've been to the factories?" Asked Jack surprised.

A smile settled on my lips as I remembered the adventure I had with the Doctor. Rose had gone to visit one of her friends who was getting married at that time. The Doctor took the weapon for a look.

"Once," he confessed.

"You're lucky. The factories are gone now, destroyed. The main reactor went critical and wiped out everything on the way."

The Doctor smiled and we shared a look. We knew what had really happened. And you know what? I wouldn't say a word, it's a secret!  _My_ secret. The Doctor returned the weapon to Jack.

"Like I said, once. There is a banana grove there, now. I like bananas. Bananas are good."

I quietly sang the words "Vive les bananes" by Ray Ventura, to accompany the words of the Doctor on bananas. The Doctor and I went back to the room while Rose and Jack stood in the doorway talking a little before joining us. I turned on the light so that we could see that the room was ransacked. The window was broken and there were objects all over the floor, on the other side I could see sheets of papers on the floor and the wall, as well as a crooked bed.

"What do you think?" The Doctor asked Jack.

"Something got out there…"

"Yeah, and…?"

"Something powerful, angry…" he finally said as he moved.

He entered the other room and was shocked by the scene he saw; Rose joined him.

"A child?" He questioned, surprised. "I guess that explains 'mummy.'"

"But how could a child do that?" Rose interjected, confused.

The Doctor pressed the buttons of the recordings and it was activated. There was the voice of an old man talking to a child. The child in the gas mask.

" **Do you know where you are?"**

**"Are you my mummy?"**

**"Do you know what's around you? Can you… see?"**

**"Are you my mummy?"**

**"What do you want? Do you know…"**

**"I want my mummy. Are you my mummy? I want my mummy! Are you my mummy?** "

I moved into the room, approaching the walls and carelessly stroking the drawings, all representing the boy's mom. Closing my eyes, I felt like I was feeling the power of the child, who would continue to look for his mother. Because that's all he wants, his mummy.

"Are you my mummy? Mummy? Mummy?"

"This voice, I've heard it before…" I said softly.

"Of course you do, Alvia." Replied the Doctor understandingly. "I've heard it too."

"Mummy?"

"Why always, 'are you my mummy?' Like he doesn't know," commented Rose.

"Mummy?"

"Why doesn't he know?" She continued.

"Are you there, mummy? Mummy?"

The Doctor entered the room as well and paused for a moment before turning in circles, passing his hand quickly over the walls before removing it. The tape was still spinning, and the child calling for his mother was unsettling. Rose worried when the Doctor turned a little faster.

"Don't you sense it?"

"Sense what?" Asked Jack confused.

"Coming out of the walls, can't you feel it?" He asked a little more strongly, just as worried.

I closed my eyes again trying to feel something, and I did.

"It's like waves ... waves of power," I declared fascinated, drawing the Doctor's surprise at feeling the power.

"Don't be stupid," Rose sneered wickedly.

"Shut up, Rose. You lower the IQ of the whole hospital."

Her face turned red. She was going to reply when the Doctor cut her off.

"Funny little human brains, how do you get around in those things?"

"When he's stressed, he likes to insult species," commented Rose for Jack.

"And he sounds racist," I added.

"Rose, Alvia. I'm thinking," he said pacing in the small room.

But Rose continued.

"If he cuts himself while shaving, he spends half an hour insulting life forms he's cleverer than…"

"Remember Rose, there are children living rough around the bomb site. They go out during the air-raids looking for food."

I suddenly froze hearing a little repetitive "shlik-shlik." The Doctor kept talking as I turned to the sound and stopped moving completely.

"He's afraid. Terribly afraid, and powerful. He doesn't know it yet, but it'll do…" he said before giving a chuckle. "He has the power of a God, and I just sent him to his room."

"Doctor…" I murmured without being heard, staring at the child who was staring at the Doctor's back.

Rose complained about the noise and asked what had happened. The child was talking to us and nobody was paying attention.

"Doctor," I repeat.

"End of the tape. It ran out about 30 seconds ago."

"Doctor," I said a little more urgently, fear in my voice.

"I sent him to his room," he finally declared. "This is his room."

"DOCTOR!"

This time he looked at me, but I didn't deign to take a look at him. The Doctor spun around in the direction I was looking and saw the child in the mask.

"Are you my mummy?"

The child looked at Rose, seeing her as a possible mom before looking at me and leaning his head to one side.

"Mummy?"

Jack moved slowly toward the center, joining us, banana in hand.

"Okay ... at my signal ... make for the door. NOW!"

He aimed at the kid with the banana before realizing the trickery. The Doctor, with a smile, took out the blaster and aimed at a wall where a square of emptiness appeared, leaving us an emergency exit.

"Go! Now! Don't drop the banana!"

"Why not?" Jack asked as he jumped into the hole in the wall, followed by Rose.

I quickly joined the other side, watching the Doctor run and join us.

"Good source of potassium!"

Jack grabbed his gun and closed the hole as the child entered the room we were in just before. I leaned against the wall sighing with relief, while Rose ran her hands through her hair, relieved as well.

"Digital rewind," Jack simply said, throwing the banana at the Doctor. "Nice trick, by the way."

"It's from the Groves of Villengard. I thought it was appropriate."

"There's really a banana grove in the heart of Villengard and you did that?" Asked the captain, skeptical.

The Doctor didn't confirm or deny it. He simply replied that the bananas were good. Suddenly, a crack appeared in the wall, where the kid was. He was hitting the wall.

"Oh fuck!"

"Language!" Growled the Doctor. "Let's go!"

We ran in one direction, following the Doctor before turning around because a wave of masked zombies calling for their mummies were heading towards us calmly. We went another direction, but it was also blocked by a horde coming towards us. We were caught in a trap, sandwiched on all sides. Jack frantically pointed his weapon in all directions and I had to stoop once to avoid it or take it in the face.

"My weapon can work as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon, and a triple enfolded sonic disruptor. Doc, what do you have?" Requested Jack quickly.

The Doctor pulled out his screwdriver and suddenly seemed a little ashamed.

"I've got a sonic, err… oh, never mind."

"What?"

The Doctor faced the other wave, pointing his screwdriver and lighting it.

"It's sonic and that's all that matters!"

"Disrupter? Cannon? What?"

"It's sonic! Totally sonic! I am sonic-ed up!" Tried the Doctor.

"A sonic what?" Insisted Jack.

"SCREWDRIVER!" The Doctor finally cracked.

Jack turned suddenly, shocked. The kid finally broke the wall and I ran to Rose to show the floor. She shouted that we were coming down while I grabbed Jack's wrist and directed him to the ground. I pulled the trigger and a square hole appeared in the ground and we fell to the floor of the room below. I calculated the fall and the landing, but dude. I suck at math. I fell with all my weight, a nice 48kg, for 1.40m—which is pretty reasonable in terms of weight. And I missed the landing, which made me fall on my back. And fuck it hurts! But I told myself that if I was in pain, nothing was broken. Kids, this is a bad way of thinking. Fortunately, I had nothing broken—except my dignity—but I knew that tonight I was going to have a nice bruise on my back.

"You are okay?" Asked Rose, looking for the light.

"Could've used a warning," grumbled the Doctor.

"She did, not our fault you didn't listen!" I was defending.

"And who looks at a screwdriver and thinks 'Oohoo, this could be a little more sonic?'" Asked Jack with a lot of sarcasm in his tone.

"He does," I said, pointing at the Doctor. "And he has survived pretty well, I think."

"What? You've never been bored? After a long night? Never had a lot of cabinets to put up?" Replied the Doctor, defending his screwdriver.

Rose finally found the light switch and that's when I realized we were in another room with zombies. I called Rose in vain. There was light, and people rose from their beds to come to us. We ran to the door which—damn—was locked. Jack tried to unlock it but he was useless since his blaster didn't work. The Doctor pushed him so he could unlock the door with his screwdriver.

"Damn it, the battery is dead!" Complained Jack.

I let out a mocking laugh. We had left our life in the hands of a guy with a battery gun. Isn't that a rubbish situation?

The door unlocked suddenly, and we quickly ran in. The Doctor closed the door immediately and we were stuck in a sort of storeroom with several broken and useless objects like as a radio or phonograph. I couldn't say what exactly it was. There was also a wheelchair with a hole in the backrest and wheels in bad condition, and bunch of other medical and scary things. The legs that hung on the wall in front of me weren't at all reassuring.

"I was going to ask for a new model, but someone will blow up the factory."

"What a shame isn't it?" I purred with amusement.

And he has a Vortex manipulator. He could have bought his weapon before the factory exploded. I mean, it's not like it was blown up two seconds after it opened. There was time between the beginning and the end. He could've bought something, right?

"Oh, I know, the first day I met him, he blew up my job," Rose said. "That's practically the way he communicates."

I was going to say that he didn't blow up something the first time _I_  met him in real life, but I just remembered what happened on Downing Street. We blew it up. Ah ... good old memories!

"The door should hold," informed the Doctor.

"The door?! The wall didn't stop it!"

"Well, it's gotta find us first! Come on, we're not done yet! Let's look for a way to get by. What do we have here?"

"I've got a banana, and at a pinch you could put up some shelves," Jack snapped.

The Doctor walked to the window and climbed onto the table.

"Window …"

"Barred, and we are on the seventh floor, good luck surviving the fall."

Sherlock survived the fall ... and he didn't complain.

"No way out," guessed Rose.

"That conversation ended in a flash didn't it?" Said Jack, settling comfortably in the wheelchair.

The Doctor suddenly turned to me, pointing at Jack.

"And I have to trust him? Where did you find this one, by the way?"

"Weeeeellll…" I said, not at all confident and totally uncomfortable.

"She was hanging from a barrage balloon, I had an invisible spaceship. I never stood a chance."

This was totally the situation that I wanted to avoid. I was completely uncomfortable. Why in hell did Rose look at me as if she wanted to kill me?!

"Okay, one: we have to get out of here. Two: we can't get out of here." Listed the Doctor. "Have I missed something?"

I felt a light draft and turned my gaze to the source: an empty wheelchair. Jack was gone. Damn ... Jack really doesn't give the best impressions.

"Jack just disappeared ... Enfoiré!"

Rose looked amazed. The Doctor turned to see the empty chair and he gave me a look that said 'you see?.' I looked smart with my knowledge, but not enough to solve the problem. In spite I sat on the chair, and took the opportunity to rest.

Rose approached the Doctor, who had now sat down too, to rest.

"So he vanished. Why is it always the great looking ones who do that?"

The two looked at each other. And I pursed my lips to avoid laughing at the Doctor's outraged look.

"I'm making an effort not to be insulted," said the Doctor clearly.

"I mean… men," clarified Rose with a wave of her hand.

"Okay, thanks… that really helped," he said with a sarcastic smile.

A radio noise was heard and Jack's voice was transmitted into the room.

"Alvia? Doctor? Rose? Can you hear me?"

I turned my eyes to the radio while the Doctor took it and put it on a table, aiming it in the right direction.

"I went back to my ship."

"And it didn't cross your mind to take us?" I asked with a sarcastic sneer.

"I used the emergency teleport. Sorry, I couldn't take you."

"Of course …" I whistled in bad faith.

The Doctor held a wire in his hands, with a confused look.

"How're you speaking to us?"

"Om-com. I can call anything with a speaker grill."

"Now, there's a coincidence."

"What is?"

"The child can om-com too."

"Anyone with the TARDIS phone number can call you from this phone," I said.

"The phone is not a real one, Alvia. It doesn't work."

"Now, here's a spoiler for you," I quote, humming with a smile as I thought about River and UNIT.

"Do you mean that the child can call us, as he did earlier?" asked Rose, remembering something.

"And I can hear you. Coming to find you. Coming to fiiiind you."

"Oh merde…" I whispered.

"Doctor can you hear that?"

"Loud and clear."

"I'll try to block the signal," Jack said. "Least I can do."

"Coming to find you, mummy!"

"Remember this one, Alvia?"

And Glenn Miller's song suddenly went on the radio. I sank into the armchair, cheeks red from embarrassment under the weight of the looks coming from Rose and the Doctor.

"What is this?" Rose asked teasingly.

"Music."

"Romantic music," insisted Rose with a smile on her lips. "I guess you had a good time, right?"

I didn't give an answer. I'd never been so embarrassed in my life. The Doctor nodded as if he understood, but his eyes indicated that he didn't like it. Was the Doctor jealous? What? Me and Jack?! It's the stupidest idea I've ever had!

XXX

I think a good half hour had passed. The song had repeated many times and I was getting pissed of this tune. I didn't even like this song! Rose had found another chair and she was swaying gently on it. The Doctor was doing something on the wall with his screwdriver. And GOD I was bored! I had forgotten my headphones in my room, so nothing to listen to anything other than "Moonlight Serenade."

"I swear, if this thing keeps playing this song, zombie masks or not, I'm going my way through the hospital to bar myself from here."

"No need to panic," Rose said. "Doctor, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to loosen the bars by setting up a resonation pattern in the concrete," vaguely explained the Doctor, continuing to face the wall.

"Because he absolutely doesn't think Jack will come back," I clarified, making a gesture to the Doctor.

"Why don't you trust him?" Asked Rose. "Alvia does."

"I have good reason to trust him, but the Doctor doesn't. He doesn't know Jack like I do."

"I don't understand," said Rose. "But what I do know, is that I trust him. He's like you, I think. Except with dancing and dating."

I turned to Rose, surprised. And the Doctor gave her a look.

"What?" She asked.

"You just assume I'm…"

"What?" Insisted Rose.

"You just assume I don't ... dance."

"What, you're telling me that you do… 'dance?'" She said with a smile.

"Nine hundred years, me. I've been around a bit. I think you can assume that at some point I've 'danced.'"

"You?!" She said with a bigger smile.

"Problem?"

"Doesn't the universe implode or something if you ... 'dance?'"

"Well, I've got the moves but I wouldn't want to boast."

"Just one question," I intervened suddenly. "When did the sport notion of dance become a synonym for sexual intercourse? 'Cause I'm totally confused about whether you're talk about dance or sex."

Is it a blush that I see on the cheekbones and ears of the Doctor? Because that's absolutely cute.

Rose stood up and turn up the volume of the music. The Doctor looked around him uncomfortably. And Rose walked slowly towards him like a cat in heat, flirting. The Doctor seemed determined to not leave the wall. Rose reached out her hand. And I watched the scene, fatigue invading little by little in my body.

"You've got the moves?"

The Doctor looked at Rose.

"Show me your moves."

"Rose, I'm trying to resonate concrete."

_Because we all know it will work_ , I thought humorously, referring to the Whovian.

The Doctor turned off the screwdriver and put it back in his jacket pocket, walking away from the window with a strange expression. He looked at Rose's hands before turning to me and pulling me up, holding my hands. Rose was confused. He turned my hands, which were empty of the slightest sign of injury. His hands were larger than mine and despite their callous appearance they're were soft and warm, although I know his body temperature was lower than that of humans. But my hands were cold, and the warmth of his hands warmed mine.

"Barrage balloon?" He asks.

"Mmm?"

"You were hanging from a barrage balloon."

"Not the best idea I had," I conceded, shaking my head. "But that was necessary to meet Jack. And then I still had a good view of London, even if the Nazi raid spoiled the show a bit."

He raises his eyebrows at what I had just told him.

"I travelled with a lot of people, but you're setting new records for jeopardy-friendly."

"I won't do worse next time, but I can't promise anything," I said, shrugging.

"Hanging on a rope a thousand feet above London. Not a cut, not a bruise."

"I see where you are coming from. Captain Jack treated me while I hadn't asked for it…"

"Oh, we're walled him Captain Jack now?"

"Well, his name's Jack and he's a captain. I don't see where's the problem?" Commented Rose.

"He's not really a captain, Rose." Smiled the Doctor with a kind of satisfaction.

"D'you know what I think? I think you're experiencing Captain Envy."

"Her words, not mine," I defended, raising my hands in the air to prove my innocence.

The Doctor nodded half-heartedly, not denying it. He suddenly took my hands in his again but this time as if to dance. Something that I don't usually do. Me dancing is like watching a wildebeest trying to get up for the first time. It's funny and not graceful at all. I usually dance like I have a broom in my ass.

Rose pulled back a little to make space for us and she told me that my feet were at the end of my legs. I know I'm not the best dancer but still, I didn't need to be depressed. While continuing to swing to the right and left without moving much, the Doctor spoke again.

"If ever he was a captain, he's been defrocked."

"Really? Shame we missed that," added Rose.

"Must have been such a beautiful sight to see," I added, laughing with Rose after an exchange.

"Actually, I quit. Nobody takes my frock."

The Doctor and I separated immediately after we saw that we were no longer in the hospital but in the Chula vessel. Rose and the Doctor eyed the place as I leaned against a wall, folding my arms.

"Most people notice when they've been teleported."

"No comment."

"You were so in a moment, so sweet."

Really? It was a moment? Wow. It's not as ... impressive as I thought.

"Sorry about the delay, I had to take the nav-com offline to override the teleport security."

"You can spend thirty minutes overriding your own protocols? Maybe you should remember who's the real owner."

"Oh yes, I do. She was gorgeous. Like I told her, be back in five minutes."

The Doctor observed the details of the ship while Rose looked amazed as she turned herself to observe the ship as well.

"This is a Chula ship," acknowledged the Doctor.

"Yeah, just like that medical transporter. Only difference, this one is dangerous."

The Doctor snapped his fingers and a cloud of Nanogenes appeared at the end of his fingers, floating around his hand quietly.

"Oh! That's what heal the burns of my hands. Those are—"

"Nanobots? Nanogenes."

"Nanogenes. Thank you for interrupting me."

"It's beautiful," admired Rose. "What are they?"

"Sub-atomic robots. There's millions of them in here, see? Burned my hand on the console when we landed, all better now. It's healed. When they activate, they check for damage and correct physical flaws."

And with a wave of the hand, the Doctor sent back the nanogenes and they disappeared from our vision. I just thought, I'm so used to biting my nails and pulling small skins from my fingers to the blood that in the end, I still have minor injuries to the hands. Maybe I should ask the Doctor to give me nanogenes for personal use. I also used to cut my pencils with a scalpel instead of a pencil sharpener and I'm not immune to a bad wound due to my clumsiness. Yep, I will definitely ask for nanogenes, when all this is over. It will be stylish in my room, and will give a little air of magic like Harry Potter.

The Doctor finally turned to Jack.

"Take us to the crash site. I need to see your space junk."

"As soon as I get the nav-com back online! Make yourself comfortable. Carry on with whatever it was you were… doing." Said Jack gesturing to me and the Doctor.

"We were talking about dancing!" The Doctor said innocently.

"We were?" I asked curiously.

I know we were talking about the sporting notion of dance, and at some point it skipped on to sex. But if that happened, I was completely wrong. And if that happens, we Whovians, had been wrong since the beginning about this conversation. Russel T Davies must have died of laughing when he saw us making theories like Anderson.

"It didn't look like talking."

"But there was definitely dancing," denounced Rose.

"Jealous?" I questioned her.

"You'd wish," she said in a good imitation of Harry Potter fighter Malfoy in his second year.

Jack returned to work at the console of his Chula ship and Rose joined him for a conversation that I guess is similar to the one in the episode. The Doctor, for his part, preferred sitting down with his hands crossed and resting on his knees. As I watched the Doctor, he seemed to be in intense thought. His eyes were blank and his air was dark. I swallowed and sat by his side, although I sat on the floor rather than on the bed he had taken. He didn't seem to be aware of my actions he was so in his thoughts.

"His ship is not as impressive as the TARDIS," I tried.

I managed to pull the Doctor out of his dark thoughts and earned a chuckle from him.

"Not bigger on the inside, isn't it?"

"Time Lord technology is beautiful, I have nothing to complain about it. But I'm just as fascinated by the future and alien technology of this world."

I wanted to continue the discussion with the Doctor, but a beep suddenly interrupted me. The computer seemed to have finished its program.

"Alright, I think we're ready to go to the crash site," Jack informed us.

Jack teleported us outside and we walked for about ten minutes in the damp, dark streets of London. We ended up arriving in a military area by barbed wire, wooden crates and soldiers and their weapons. We arrived near a station where the 'bomb' was. As we scoured the barbed wire and entered it, Jack recognized one of the soldiers.

"They've got Algy on duty. Must be important."

"We've gotta get past."

"I hear the words 'distract the guard' in my general direction," tried Rose vainly.

I rolled my eyes at the little haughty air that Rose suddenly taken.

"I don't think that'd be such a good idea," intervened Jack.

"Don't worry… I can handle it."

"I've got to know Algy quite well since I've been in town. Trust me, you're not his type. I'll distract him."

Jack walked away and I chuckled softly as Rose looked at the Doctor, not understanding what Jack had just told her.

"Relax, he's a 51st century guy. He's just a bit more flexible when it comes to 'dancing.'"

"How flexible?"

"Much more than somebody asking 'Flexible how?'" I replied with a smirk.

"By his time, you lot have spread out across half the galaxy."

"Meaning?"

"So many species, so little time…" the Doctor hummed, smiling.

"What? That's what we do when we get out there? That's our mission? We seek new life, and… and…"

"'Dance'," he finished with a big smile.

"Oh, take off that disgusted air from your face, Rose!" I exclaimed, seeing real disgust.

The same air someone would wear who is more for "manif' pour tous" than "lgbt +." No one has the right to judge someone else's relationship, every living being is free to love man, woman, trans or any other species in Jack's case. I remember something I read on Tumblr or Pinterest: You could put Jack with anyone or anything, it would always be consistent and normal. Honestly, you could describe all the relationships of the world and Jack would get his own categories.

I shook my head, it wasn't time to think of anything else. Jack suddenly backed away in horror and we could see that Algy was on the ground and having a painful transformation into a gas mask zombie. We all ran to join Jack and my jaw dropped on seeing the horrifying realism of the transformation. A wave of disgust, horror and pity overwhelmed me and I felt even less safe as someone in the Whoniverse and not just a spectator in front of a screen. The Doctor ordered to stand behind the victim.

"The effect's become air-borne. It's accelerating."

"What's keeping us safe?"

"Nothing."

"Not even a gas mask?" I tried with a bad sense of humor.

The Doctor glanced at me as I realized it was not the right moment. I knew it. And to remind me that this was neither the time nor the place, the siren of the air raid sounded again, informing us that bombs would fall on us soon. I do not like war, but... I really want to run away to the TARDIS—the safest place in the universe. Speaking of bomb...

"Jack, didn't you tell me a bomb would fall here?" I said with a trembling voice.

Jack nodded to confirm and a song came to my ears.

"Forget the bomb. If the contaminants are now in the air, we have barely a few hours left."

"For what?"

"'Til nothing and forever. If we don't act now, the whole human race will become like them and… does anyone hear a song?"

The Doctor left in the direction of some sort of big tent, and we followed him back to the source of the song. It was a young woman with a grey cloak singing: Nancy. After having finally getting her safe, we headed for the ambulance, having no obstacle or stop on the way. At the bomb site you could see a small pile, covered with a tarpaulin. Jack asked the soldiers to leave the area that was illuminated and they obeyed without objection. Jack removed the tarpaulin and finally we were able to see the purple ambulance that was in bad condition due to the crash.

"See? Just an ambulance," presented Jack.

"That's an ambulance?" Asked Nancy dubiously.

Rose took Nancy by the shoulders and explained that it came from another world. I joined the Doctor and Jack who were near the bomb. Jack typed a code on a small Chula keyboard, that looked like glyphs from the Sheikas in Zelda Breath of the Wild. Jack noticed that the soldiers tried to open the ambulance without success while the Doctor asked why Jack was typing a code.

"Sooner you'll see that this thing is empty, sooner you'll see that I have nothing to do with the rest."

The controls suddenly exploded with sparks, making us move back quickly to avoid burns, and an alarm sounded loudly as a small red light flashed.

"Didn't happen last time."

"Of course it didn't happen last time, it hadn't crashed before! And now they're coming!" I exclaimed before the Doctor could speak.

"What's coming?"

"You know who I'm talking about!"

And to prove my point, the doors of the barn that were closed suddenly moved under the sound of a blow, as if something were coming for us. I remembered that the whole hospital was getting up and heading towards us, as well as the child.

The Doctor ordered Jack to close the gates to avoid any intrusion of the masked ones and threw his screwdriver at Rose with orders after hearing that Nancy had come here by making a hole in the barbed wire.

When Jack returned, he began to open the ambulance. Jack managed to open it a few minutes later and you could see that the ambulance was empty.

"It's empty, look at it."

"Because you can't see it, it doesn't mean that there is nothing," I finally scoffed, ready to make the revelation.

"What were you waiting for inside?" Continued the Doctor. "Bandages? Cough drops?"

"Or thousands of nanogenes," I ended up mimicking said nanogenes.

Jack understood at once and swore to his ignorant stupidity.

"And now he finally gets it?" I exclaimed, applauding him with sarcasm.

"When the ship crashes, the nanogenes escape. Billions upon billions of them, ready to fix all the cuts and bruises in the whole world. But what they find is a dead child, probably killed earlier that night and wearing a gas mask."

"These things brought him back to life? They can do that?" Asked Rose, surprised.

"What is life? Life is just a simple state. A quirk of matter. Nothing for a nanogene."

_You have four hours._

"The only problem with these nanogenes in particular is that they're different from those of your ship Jack. They've never seen humans before, they don't know what a human is supposed to look like," I continued.

"All they've got is one little body and nothing else," agreed the Doctor. "And they continue, they do what they are programmed for, they fix. They don't know the difference between a gas mask and a skull, but they do their best. Then, off they go, with a job to do. Because now they think they know what humans should look like and all the rest are ready to be corrected. And they'll never stop. They won't ever, ever stop," told the Doctor as his voice increased. "The whole human race will be demolished and rebuilt in the form of a terrified child looking for his mother, and nothing in the world can stop him!"

The Doctor was almost shouting and I could see the anger settling into his posture—his blue eyes cold. Jack looked like a scolded child after the revelation of his misdeeds.

"I didn't know," said Jack defiantly.

"When we don't know, Jack, we do not touch and we do not manipulate!" I growled suddenly, getting tired of Jack's attitude. "Bordel Jack! Take some responsibility! You're an adult for God's sake!"

I glared at Jack, who looked really punished and guilty. The Doctor returned to the medical ship, sonic screwdriver in hand to work. I put my hands in my hair, styling it back to make sure it wasn't in my face. The cold of the night bit my cheeks and made them red. I calmed down and my eyes caught a movement. I heard someone speak and I turned to see a wave of masked people walking towards us. More masked people came and their pleading became stronger and more numerous. All stopped at the fence without moving, and we all gathered near the ambulance.

Nancy started crying, saying it was her fault. The Doctor reassured her that she was not, but she continued in her rant. I joined the young woman as bombs began to fall and explode. Jack disappeared, returning to his ship. I took Nancy by the shoulders talking to her softly as if she was a scared child.

"Nancy, I know he's not your brother ... He's just a child looking for his mummy. No child should be trying to find out who his mom is ... Every child, including Jamie, should have their mom at their side and know who their mom is. It's normal to be afraid and to have hidden the truth, especially at this time. I would have probably done the same. But now he must know."

I turned my gaze to the doors that were now open because of Jamie.

"Because he's going to keep asking, Nancy. He'll never stop. You have to tell him."

Nancy snorted, still in tears, and Jamie walked over to us.

"The future of the human race is in your hands," spoke the Doctor softly. "You can trust Alvia ... tell him."

Nancy took a dose of courage and approached Jamie who continued to walk towards us. While Nancy confirmed to Jamie that she was his mother, he continued to ask again and again. She took him tenderly in his arms and a gigantic cloud of nanogenes surrounded them gently. The scene was beautiful and looked magical. Rose wanted to intervene but was stopped by the Doctor's arm who gently asked nanogenes to understand.

The nanogenes disappeared and we headed to the duo.

"Oh, come on. Give me this day. Give me that one," prayed the Doctor.

I started to smile knowingly. The Time Lord reached for the gas mask and managed to remove it, finally revealing Jamie's face, which was perfectly ordinary and held a soft look. Jamie smiled at Nancy's astonishment and the great joy of the Doctor bursting into laughter. He lifted the little boy in the air with disconcerting ease and turned him around.

"AH AH AH! Welcome back! Twenty years 'til the pop music, you're gonna love it!"

He took him in his arms for a hug, laughing with joy. Nancy wondered what had happened and the Doctor quickly explained. A bomb landed not far from us and Rose reminded him by panicking that a bomb would arrive here at any moment.

The sound of a bomb was heard and I turned my head to see that a bomb was plunging in our direction until a Chula ship showed the familiar blue beams that stopped its fall. A moment later Jack appeared astride the bomb. I could see on the bomb that two German words were painted white. These two words were of course, BAD WOLF.

"The bomb's already commenced detonation. I've put it in stasis but it won't last long."

"Change of plan, don't need the bomb. Can you get rid of it? Safely as you can?"

"Consider this as already done!" Confirmed the captain. "Alvia? Rose?"

"Yeah?"

"Mm?"

"Goodbye."

He disappeared and I felt a small vacuum in my chest despite everything. Suddenly he reappeared.

"By the way, I've always loved girls who are sly like a fox!"

He smiled at me and I felt my cheeks turn red as I rubbed my hand over my neck. Jack disappeared again and his ship disappeared into the night sky. The Doctor walked forward, staring at his hands and calling forth the nanogenes floating around his hands.

"You wanted moves, girls? I'll give you moves!"

He threw the nanogenes away from him, towards the masked ones who were still trailing behind. The Doctor's smile widened as people fell to the ground with the floating nanogenes surrounding them.

"Everybody lives! Just this once, EVERYBODY LIVES!"

People rose again, except this time they had no gas masks on their faces. They had come back human. The Doctor joined a man in a white coat and talked a little with him before coming back to our side, and he climbed on the bomb to program the self-destruction of the ambulance. But before programming self-destruction he did something that surprised me. He summoned some nanogenes and placed them in my hands. They floated in my palms in the form of a little ball of light no bigger than a tennis ball.

"You're fascinated by the technology of this world, right? They can be summoned only by you. I hope that you can avoid several visits to the Medbay. Now, the history says there has been an explosion here. Who am I to discuss with history?"

"Usually the first in line," I said with humor, making Rose laugh.

The Doctor smiled and I smiled back, happy by the events and the unexpected gift. I put the little sphere in one of my pockets of my coat and felt a little weight confirming that they weren't going to disappear in the air.

As the ambulance was ready to explode, we informed the residents of the impending explosion and we ran back to the TARDIS. The streets of London that we crossed were filled with laughter of joy and smiles. Then, we finally arrived in the TARDIS.

"The remaining nanogenes will clean up the mess and switch themselves off, because I just told them to. Nancy and Jamie will see Dr. Constantine for help. All things considered, fantastic!"

"Look at you," smiled Rose at his enthusiasm. "Beaming away like if you're Santa Claus!"

"Who says I'm not! Red bicycle when you were twelve?"

"What?" Exclaimed Rose with surprise.

"And everybody lives! Everybody lives!" The Doctor is ecstatic, arms outstretched. "Alvia you said I was going to love it, thank you! I need more days like this! Ask me anything. I'm on fire!"

"Jack…" I said, blurring the Doctor's smile.

He continued to work on the TARDIS console, as though he didn't want to talk about it.

"We have to save him, Doctor," I pleaded softly. "Everyone lives, including him."

The Doctor stared at the console before manipulating buttons and lever. He reached for the door and I nodded in understanding.

I opened the door quietly, noiselessly, watching Jack eating an olive and drinking a glass of cocktail. I took a look at the bomb and saw that on one of the fins, a fox had been engraved there. Music sounded in the background and as Jack turned around I raised my hand as if I wanted to dance.

"Hurry up, we don't have all the time in the world here!"

Jack took my hand and I pulled him inside the Tardis where Rose and the Doctor were trying to dance. Jack eyed the Tardis as I closed the door. Rose was talking to the Doctor with mentions of dance while he looked sheepish.

"I'm sure I used to know this stuff…"

He operated a button and the engines started carrying us away from the ship that was about to explode.

"Welcome to the TARDIS," said the Doctor.

"Much bigger on the inside…"

"You'd better be."

"What the Doctor is trying to say," spoke Rose as she approached Jack. "It is that you may cut in."

I took off my coat and put it on a coral and the Doctor suddenly exclaimed.

"Rose! I've just remembered!"

"What?"

Glenn Miller's "In the Mood" was played through the speakers and the Tardis flashed its lights in joy. I loved this song. The Doctor approached us in rhythm with the music and snapping his fingers.

"I can dance!"

"Actually, Doctor… I thought Jack might like this dance."

"Don't worry," he said imperturbably. "I could find another partner," he finished with a wink.

And he pulled me by the wrist, drawing a cry of surprise from me. He took my hands in his and we started to dance. Finally I tried to dance as best as I could by imitating the movements of my partner while I stammered in vain that I was not made for dancing. Jack and Rose joined us in the dance as we whirled around the console, perfectly unlike my wallowing on the floor. The song ended as the Doctor suddenly threw me back on his arm and I laughed for joy as I got up and fell into the Doctor's arms, having absolutely no strength left. We parted smiling, sharing a warm look and I sat on the chair. Rose led Jack into the TARDIS looking for a compatible room for the captain.

I stretched out, finally relaxed and smiling.

"You should put the nanogenes in your room," said the Doctor gently.

"Yup, I'll do that immediately. I'll be right back."

I jumped up and grabbed my coat before heading to my room. When I opened the door, I immediately noticed the glass jar on my desk. Another Sexy gift to put away my nanogenes. I don't know why she loved me so much but I don't complain.

Do you know the glass jar in the Zelda games? Well, it was the same as the one I put the ball of nanogenes in and I closed it, having the impression of having captured a fairy like in Ocarina of Time. I put the jar on one of the shelves in my bookcase and my coat on the chair in my office. I thanked Sexy, who buzzed softly with joy and flashed her lights in a semblance of a response before returning to the console room where the Doctor was.

"I think I had my early 20th century fix with this adventure! I will really feel lucky if I don't have a nightmare because of the creepy theme with a child who calls his mummy and wears a gas mask. It was hard enough to watch, much less live it…"

"Better to remember the good times then …" he added.

"Dancing was a good memory …" I murmured.

"What would you say to extending the memory?" The Doctor offered, holding out his hand.

The Doctor held out a hand, waiting for me to take it. An invitation to dance. I observed the Doctor's face to see in his eyes that he was sincere, that he wanted me to accept. A soft smile settled on my lips and I got up to take his hand. They were still hot, tall, callous and pleasant. The TARDIS lowered its lights a little and to my surprise a very familiar song played in the speakers.

" _Ce n'était pas du Glenn Miller. Ce n'était même pas du même siècle et encore moins le même type de danse."_

The first notes of Joe Hisaishi's "Merry Go Round Life" were playing all over the room while the Doctor put his hand on my hip and I put my hand on his shoulder. It might not have been a real dance, much less a waltz, but it didn't matter to us as we circled the console, swinging from left to right and vice versa. I had missed my steps a few times and but the gentle reassuring smile of the Doctor made me forget those few mistakes.

I could feel a pleasant warmth invade my body as we danced to the rhythm of the music and a smile never left my lips. The Doctor was leading the dance and we seemed to slide into the room like a draft and all this without his eyes leaving mine once—his light blue eyes affectionately staring at mine. The rhythm of the music increased and our footsteps did the same. We were in perfect synchronization. I allowed myself to hum and close my eyes to maximize the sensations of the dance. I felt like we were feeling the vibrations of our movements, the constant buzz of Sexy and something more. I felt like I was feeling waves ... Maybe we were in the Time Vortex?

The song ended but we did not separate ourselves yet; the TARDIS was singing a song of the time, and we were balancing elegantly and tenderly on it. We were close—my head resting against his chest and I could feel his two hearts beat at the rate of four. Still, at that moment, I smiled. We took a few steps back, watching each other for a moment before I tiptoed up and kissed his cheek lightly.

I pulled back, smiled again and left for my room. But on the threshold of the corridor, I turned and I saw him touching the cheek that I kissed.

"Merci beaucoup Docteur pour les danses… j'ai vraiment aimé. Passe une bonne nuit."

Before he could answer that the night didn't exist on the TARDIS, I entered the corridor joining my room and my bed that was calling me. I didn't bother to put on pyjamas, too tired to look for them. I settled under the blanket in my underwear and I immediately joined the arms of Morpheus when my head rested on the soft cushion. In my sleep, I dreamt of dancing in the Doctor's arms.


	12. Loss of innocence of Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! here the New chapter.
> 
> BUT before you leave your reading, I have some warning and some important words to let you know:
> 
> this chapter clearly has the theme of non-consent.
> 
> I don't want this situation for anyone. And I clearly know that the reactions I use in this chapter will not be good and accurate.
> 
> Know that I asked my entourage (which is quite critical in terms of literature) to read it before and give me his opinion. If I post it, it's a good chapter according to them.
> 
> For the consideration of everyone and myself first, I didn't describe the acts (I don't even think I have the ability to write smut ... too bad)
> 
> Finally, Thank you bored411 for having corrected me, thank you my relatives including Isa'ralia Faradien (a French writer of fanfiction) for giving me your opinion on this chapter and the next (it will be coming soon)

 

“WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO?!”

That was the Doctor who had just shout at Jack's request. How did I know, even though I was in the kitchen eating? Simple. Just five minutes ago, Jack had told me and Rose, about his desire to go to a specific place in the 51st century, although we don’t know where exactly. But from what we had just heard, it was certainly not a place where the Doctor would willingly go.

With Rose, I joined the men in the console room. Rose wore the usual, an outfit with an unnecessarily pink element, and this time it was a flashy pink top. It hurt to look at it. Seriously, if I could, I would throw this atrocity into the fire. It was a crime against my eyes and all of humanity to wear this thing.

“Gloria Trax III is where we should go,” Jack seemed to repeat.

“I don’t invite people on my TARDIS as a companion to take them to places of carnal pleasures!”

I thought the Doctor was upset about going to this place because of something he did in his past, but judging by his expression, and what he just said, it was just because he was prude and didn’t want his companions to sleep with anyone (or anything). In fact, other than the discussion of "dance," where he was definitely talking about dancing and not the human reproductive act, the Doctor was a rather modest and timid man in the field of love and sexuality. It was true that he flirted with aliens sometimes, but now I realized that he didn’t know what he was doing and how he was making others feel. Which was a shame I think, because unlike his future incarnations, he didn’t seem to want a love interest.

“Oh, come on!” Complained Jack. “It is a planet festival in the 51st century. It’s normal if we find pleasure in all its forms!”

"A planet festival?” Rose asked suddenly.

"A planet terraformed and allocated to the pleasures of the party. There’s music, alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling ... The perfect place to party and take a break with all the running we do.”

"I really want to go!” Exclaimed Rose with the stars in her eyes.

"No! No, no, no!” Countered the Doctor. “We will not go to this place of debauchery!”

"I suggested that we,  _companions_ , go there," Jack tried. “You can stay here if you want.”

It was quite hilarious to see the Doctor struggling with his refusal, especially since Rose was trying to convince the Doctor to go.

"What do you think Alvia? A planet of pleasure."

I turned my head to Jack who called me, and my neck suddenly cracked. I had a little pain ... And... did he really want my opinion? Because I knew that this type of planet wouldn’t please me too much. I was already wincing at the potential heat that I was going to suffer.

"You certainly don’t know Alvia well enough, Jack!” Rose laughed. “Give her a book to read and she's fine."

I didn’t even have to deny it. I knew I preferred a good book to a giant party.

"Rose isn’t wrong, I'm clearly not the person to ask for an opinion, especially when it comes to socialization. I am here to discover the wonders of the universe, not to socialize."

Jack groaned, and after a debate on yes or no, the Doctor gave way. We were going to Gloria Trax III. Glancing at me, Jack advised me to change outfits because this already hot planet usually was even more so in populated areas. So, I opted for a lighter outfit than the one I was wearing. Sexy made me a surprise by offering me a navy cotton shorts with a Japanese style in the shape of Kimono pants. I didn’t like the feeling of bare legs, so I wore black fishnet tights and a pair of worn white converse with its white fabric stained with dust. For the top, I had a Nirvana graphic white t-shirt that stopped at my belly button. I had decided not to pick up my phone to avoid losing it or having it stolen, and put it on my desk. I was finally ready.

The Doctor drove the Tardis towards Gloria Trax III. His aversion to this trip was felt, because the trip was a little more abrupt than usual. As soon as Jack was out, followed by Rose, I grabbed the Doctor's wrist. He was pouting. I smiled gently, helping him understand by my look that I didn’t really want to go either.

“We could let them have fun here and go somewhere else,” said the Doctor innocently.

"I doubt that with your driving skills we could do it without being noticed,” I teased softly. “After how many tries did you have your license to drive a TARDIS?”

"What makes you think I got my license?” Chuckled the Doctor as he left the Tardis.

I stood there for a few seconds, surprised by the information he had just told me. I shook my head before running to join him.  _This man is impossible_.

“You don’t have your license and so you think it's a good idea to throw the flight manual into space?” I continued.

"In a supernova,” he corrected. “And then I did not agree with what was written on it.”

"You didn’t agree with the right information to drive your Tardis?” I asked, incredulous. “No wonder why your driving is so horrible.”

"My driving’s perfect,” he concluded.

That's not exactly what Sexy would say ... Nor River Song.

We ended up joining Jack and Rose soon enough. We were on a small hill covered with green grass and hard, dusty soil. The hill was calm, but from here we could already hear and feel the constant rhythms of bass and music. My heart was beating at the same rate and I knew that the body of Jack and Rose were doing the same; although I had no idea about the Doctor. The air was hot and dry, and I regretted not having taken a scarf to cover my nose.

We were on the top of the hill and I could see on the horizon a typical area for music festivals. Music scenes and drink stands were abundant. Between each stage and stand, there was a void filled by people dancing and singing at their own pace and in their own way. All these people were of different color and shape, not just humanoid beings. As we sank into the delirious crowd, I could admire the many species gathered here to party. There were all kinds of aliens: blue blobs with red and yellow eyes like the monsters of Zelda 'Breath of the Wild' robotic nymphs; women with cybernetic elements. And the music! I have to talk to you about music. I could hear everything. Music with human origins or not (although mainly human). There was everything from all the great classical styles of music from the 20th century to the 51st century.

We never separated. It would have been a big mistake, especially for me; small size, bad sense of direction and crowds don’t mix well. If we wanted to listen to a particular style we would go there, staying for a dozen songs before going elsewhere.

It was after listening to different styles in different places, that I felt the urge to drink become urgent. My throat was rough and my lips were hard and dry, despite the fact that I ran my tongue over them more often. And then, with this world and the two suns proudly enthroned in the azure sky, I felt slightly sunburned. A drop of sweat slipped down from my forehead. I finally suggested that we go for a drink.

Rose had indicated a drink stand not far behind us. We went there. We ordered four big glasses of water first. While Jack and Rose drank in one go, the Doctor sipped it gently. I drank what I could before passing the rest of the water on my face and my hair. The cold water slid down my neck to my belly. And maybe wearing a white T-shirt was not a good idea ... The Doctor, who was taken aback by my action, turned his head a few seconds later, his face completely red and his ears. My bra was visible as the t-shirt became transparent. I had shrugged despite the red of my cheeks, which wasn’t due to the heat. With this heat, the t-shirt was going to dry quickly.

Our glasses finished, we decided to drink something else, except the Doctor who stayed with his water. Jack ordered three cocktails despite the fact that I didn’t want any alcohol (for the moment). Each cocktail with a different color. Jack had a cocktail in different shades of blue, Rose had a pink and yellow cocktail, while I found myself with a drink mixing several shades of dark red and burgundy as well as yellow and orange.

I was going to take a sip of this drink, but the alcohol stung my nose and eyes. Remembering my father's advice about strong liquor, I plunged my finger into the cold liquid and smeared it on my lips and tongue. The alcohol gently heated the affected areas before disappearing, but not completely. I finally took the first sip; the alcohol was really strong. It must have been rum or something like that. I could smell the fruity taste of mango and orange, but the rest was unknown to me. In truth, the drink was rather sweet if you put the alcohol aside. Alcohol burned my palate, my throat, and my stomach slowly and I didn’t like that feeling. After finishing my drink, I asked for a glass of water, but smaller this time.

I had wiped the sweat from my brow, and we left to listen to music. Much to my delight,we founda scene featuring Queen's greatest songs. And so, it was with enthusiasm that I sang "Don’t Stop Me Now", "Another One Bite the Dust", "Bohemian Rhapsody" and many others.

I felt a warm breath near my ear, making me shudder and goosebumps creep up my arms. I looked away from the stage to see the Doctor with a soft smile on his lips.

"If you like Queen so much, we could go," he whispered in my ear.

"You bet we'll go, Spaceman! It would be a crime to not go there!” I had answered him.

He smiled at me and I did the same in return. We had listened to some of Queen's classics before going back to our musical tour. Everything was perfect until we decided to go for a drink again. Rose and Jack had gone first to a drink stand, while the Doctor had stayed close to me to take me there. I didn’t really care about the rest as I listened to the music.

But it was when he took my hand that everything became hell. During the contact between our hands, I felt like a kind of electric shock mixed with pleasure. I gasped and my legs started to shake, and I had to hold on to the Doctor as I thought I would fall to the ground. But the extra touch added even more shock and chills that I didn’t want to feel and that were inappropriate.

The Doctor suddenly became worried about my reaction.

"Alvia!”

"I don’t know what's going on. My body’s reacting strangely.”

He took my neck in his hand as he felt my pulse and watched every reaction on my face. A burst of heat ignited me, and my body felt much hotter than necessary.

"Your pulse is high; your pupils are dilated. Your body gets hotter every second while producing some pheromones…” he says, swallowing hard.

He took out his screwdriver and analysed me quickly before observing the results.

“Something provoked these reactions in you, you must have ingested it. We have to find Jack and Rose quickly!"

I nodded weakly as I reluctantly let him go, my body seemed to be searching for contact. We had joined Jack and Rose, who seemed to be in the same state as me, if not more. They stood close to each other, their red faces with some sweat beads on their temples and necks. The Doctor analysed them too with his screwdriver to achieve the same results.

Something had been introduced into our body and put us in a precarious state. I was thinking about what we could have ingested and that the Doctor had not done before reminding me of alcoholic beverages.

"Cocktails ... This is the only thing you haven’t drunk, Doctor ..."

Jack confirmed the detail I had just announced.

"We have to go back to the drink stand, just to know what product is in the drinks."

"If we can hold on," said Rose. “My body is heating up more and more, it's unbearable..."

I had combed my wet hair back, removing as much sweat from my neck as I gasped for confirmation. My body seemed to be on fire, and I felt myself rocking when I didn’t even move.

We were leaving when the Doctor wanted to catch my wrist to move me faster. But I slammed his hand, ignoring the reaction of my body. I didn’t try to justify my act, while the Doctor looked at me with a slightly sad look at my refusal.

Quickly we were back at the drinks stand, finding the same waiter who had given us the drinks with alcohol. I stood against the fresh wooden stand, catching him as if he was a lifesaver. I put my cheek against the cool face, plunging my mind into the sensations I felt and not paying attention to the rowdy discussion the Doctor had with the waiter. But I knew that at one point the Doctor seemed furious and was about to do something he might regret, but the dark side of the Doctor calmed down, only his eyes showed all his fury as he made us leave the stand and we all got back to the TARDIS.

On the last few meters before entering the inside, my legs dropped from exhaustion and the heat of my body that I couldn’t bear. The Doctor carried me despite my words. The contact that my body was eagerly seeking made me lose my head and my body acted alone. It was horrible not to be in control of my actions. My hands gripped his shoulders as I buried my head near his neck.

He put me on the seat near the console as he joined Jack and Rose and spoke softly to them. Clinging to the seat, I watched vaguely the trio while I dealt with all the heat that drained my energy. My heart was beating fast and I had the impression that it was going to leave my body it was beating so hard. I breathed and panted quickly. My vision was gradually getting fuzzy, but I saw Jack and Rose leaving the console to sink into the bowels of the Tardis. The Doctor joined me and got to my level. He pulled the hair out of my face before staring at me, his eyes looking desolate.

"What's wrong?”

"I was able to discover what product you had ingested all three ... It's an aphrodisiac."

That certainly explained why my body reacted strangely ... I had let out a weak laugh.

“Of all things ... I never imagined it would be something like that,” I said weakly.

"Except it's deadly for humans…”

"What? You ingest it and you die? I think I discovered a problem with that bloody thing.”

"Alvia listen to me ... its deadly only if you're left in this state."

I frowned. I did not understand.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s mortal only if in twenty-four hours you don’t ... if you don’t have sex…," he announced shamefully.

"is that a joke?”

"Alvia.”

I got up, shaking my head at the Doctor. I didn’t want to believe what he had just told me. A deadly aphrodisiac? No way!

I stood at the railing, doing my best to stand up while the Doctor stood up too.

"This is not a joke, Alvia!”

"And I refuse to believe what you just told me," I hissed angrily. “I'm going to cool my body, that's what I'm doing,” I finished, ending the discussion.

I walked away from the Doctor, going to my room, standing on the walls, leaving the Time Lord in the main room. I removed my clothes as soon as I entered the bathroom. I turned the knob of cold water and the water flowed immediately.

I entered despite the icy water, and I appreciated the cold water and the cooling effect on my body. I sighed with relief as I felt the warmth of my body caused by the product disappearing.

And when I came out of the shower and the bathroom, I didn’t expect at all what would follow. The heat I thought disappeared, reappeared at once, the heat wave took me by surprise and finally removed the little strength I had recovered. I fell to the ground, trembling and feverish, my body suddenly painful with every movement. I moaned in pain and I cried out because of this pain. I was only aware of the pain that pierced my body and my bones. If the cruciatus curse existed, I could only guess that the pain would be almost similar.

In my pain, I hadn’t paid attention to my environment. I hadn’t heard the door of my room open quickly and close a minute later. I hadn’t seen the Doctor, without his leather jacket, go to me and take me in his arms. But his contact made me aware of everything, and the little skin that belonged to him and that touched me soothed the pain but increased a pleasure that I didn’t want. I cried in his chest for pain and pleasure that I had never asked for or wanted.

He whispered something to me, he spoke to me, but I didn’t focus my attention on his words until I paid attention to his supplications.

"No ... No … I refuse!”

“I won’t let you die Alvia. Not here and not now."

I retreated, tearing myself from the Doctor's arms to fall back into pain. I begged him to leave me alone. But he took me in his arms and this time to hug me. He put his head on mine, silent. My room was silent, if not for the moans I was giving out. He pulled back slightly before raising both hands to my face, his fingers resting on my temples and it took me a few seconds to recognize this position. It was the same when he erased Donna's memories.

I struggled suddenly, wanting to remove his hands from my wet red face. My nails scratched the Doctor's motionless wrists.

"NO! Doctor! Leave me! Leave me alone!"

I felt a pressure in my mind, sweeter than the one I felt on the Satellite 5. And that was the last thing I said before I heard the Doctor say that order verbally and in my mind. Before I fall into darkness.

" _Sleep_."

* * *

 

The Doctor grabbed Alvia's warm, soft body that was unconscious. He swallowed hard as he felt the warmth of her body through his sweater and warm his own body. He held her naked body in his arms when he noticed that the few veins, he saw due to her white skin had turned black because of the aphrodisiac that she had in her body. The contaminated veins started from her heart and could be seen in several places, her arms as well as her neck. And that would invade her body if he didn’t do anything and leave her in this state. What he refused to do.

The Doctor murmured in his native language prayers for the future, already ashamed of what he was going to do. He lifted Alvia's body before laying it on her bed, stroking her face gently, enjoying the contact he knew was going to disappear when she woke up. He knew she was definitely not going to trust him after that. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply before releasing everything. The weight on his shoulders seemed heavier as he pulled off his sweater. He knew that his actions were morally and emotionally wrong and that she had said no, but he really didn’t want Alvia to die, he was attached to her. Despite the fact that she knew her past, present and future.

It was when he climbed onto the bed, over Alvia's unconscious and naked body that he murmured words for her, a single tear flowing down his cheek.

"I am sorry… "

XXXX

I woke up, my body and my mind tired ... My body seemed much heavier than usual and the pillow was much softer than usual.

It was hard to open my eyes, but when I managed to open my eyes slightly my vision was blurry and fuzzy. I sighed tiredly, blinking to see a shadow near me. The shadow gently stroked my hair, running his fingers through my locks and gently scraping my skull, before covering me with a blanket.

I closed my eyes, falling back into the arms of Morpheus, exhausted.

* * *

 

The Doctor came out of Alvia's room, nausea settling in. He headed quickly to his own bedroom, the bathroom specifically. A gag raised his chest before he regurgitated tea as well as that morning's meal in his bowl. He cleaned his mouth with water before returning to his room. He sat on the bed before putting his head in his hands, sobbing in the dimly lit room. He could feel his own disgust grow in his hearts. He couldn’t believe what he had done to save her. He resolved never to answer a request from Captain Jack again.

He watched his hands tremble and continued to cry in silence until his Tardis told him that the duo was heading for the kitchen. He wiped his tears and calmed himself before joining them. When he arrived in the kitchen, he could see that Rose had hints of hickies on her neck, just like Jack. They both looked like people who had fucked well. Rose made tea and poured the liquid into three cups. They tasted their tea in silence until Jack finally broke the silence.

“How’s Alvia?”

“She will survive,” replied the Doctor a little coldly. “She’s safe and sound,” he crocked.

“How did she take all this?” Rose asked with a worried gesture.

The Doctor sighed before rubbing his face with his hands.

“Not at all as I hoped ... And now, I'm pretty sure she'll want to be as far away from me as possible and no longer be on the TARDIS.”

“What have you done, doc?” Jack asked with awe.

The Doctor sank into the chair, he swallowed, seemingly painfully remembering the latest events. He explained with shame and sorrow what he had to do to Alvia so that she could survive in this world. He explained how Alvia suffered and refused to act for her own good. He said nothing about the act itself and he didn’t need to do it. Jack and Rose didn’t need words to guess what had happened, the simple fact that Alvia was going to survive explained everything to them.

And despite the words of the Doctor and the acts he had just done, the disgust and anger weren’t what they felt towards him. They both understood what they had just experienced was complicated. They themselves would have preferred not to do it, but they didn’t want to die because of the product.

The kitchen was quiet as soon as the Doctor finished speaking. The Time Lord went to hide under the console, tweaking the cables in the hope of passing time. Jack returned to his room to cool off and rest while Rose sat on the metal chair, a chilled cup of tea in her hand. She thought back to everything she had experienced with Alvia and the Doctor. Despite a jealousy against Alvia since her meeting, she shared a good time with her, jokes and moments between girls, laughter to the Doctor.

She triturated a lock of hair between her fingers as she decided to put her negative feelings towards Alvia aside and emotionally support the young redhead. She was definitely going to need it.

* * *

 

I woke up with a start. I didn’t know what caused it. I opened my eyes before closing them and pushing my face into my cushion. Despite the lack of light in my room, waking up with lights was not the best thing. It took me a few minutes before my eyes accepted any source of light and I could finally open my eyes without wrinkling them. I got up slightly, the blanket sliding off my shoulders before reaching my waist.

I ran my hands through my hair, my head filled with cotton. I moved my legs before stopping immediately. I could feel between my thighs a strange humidity. I already had my period; it was more than a week ago. I put my hand between my legs, gathering moisture before removing my hand and watching it in the light. My hand was covered in red blood. I froze on the spot, the memories coming back to me like a whiplash. I suddenly got up, pulling myself out of bed, staring at it as if it were on fire. I had to stand against the wall as my throat knotted and nausea settled in my stomach.

I ran into my bathroom, lighting the shower and getting in there even though the water was cold. And while the water was warming up little by little, I crouched down, thrusting my head into my arms. My shoulders shook and I cried hot tears, sobbing hysterically.

I didn’t know how long I had been in the shower, but the water suddenly stopped as Rose entered my bathroom and took me in her arms, ignoring the fact that I was wet. She took me out of the shower and hugged me on the bathmat. We were on the floor, and I was holding her like a life buoy while I was still crying.

At one point she gestured to someone and I hoped it wasn’t the Doctor. Because I didn’t know what I would do if he was there. Fortunately, the person who was there seemed to leave.

It will have taken me a good half hour to calm down. The cold caught me; Rose advised me to get dressed. I nodded weakly, not trusting my voice to avoid falling back into tears. I put on dark-gray high-waisted denim pants and a black long-sleeved turtleneck and black converses. I usually didn’t wear a turtleneck but felt as if I needed as much skin covered as possible. If I had gloves, I would have put them on too. Rose grabbed my hands and held them tight as she gently massaged my skin. My hands were shaking violently.

"I need some air," I murmured as I felt myself becoming claustrophobic.

"I’ll tell him…"

She left first, leaving me alone in my room. Dark thoughts, shaking hands and raw nerves. While going to get my long coat, I noticed in the mirror of my office. My eyes were red from crying, I had dark circles of fatigue, my cheeks were wet, and my head was pounding painfully with a headache that was growing slowly.

I put on the coat, leaving my room and crossing the corridor as slowly as possible, apprehending the future meeting with the Doctor. And way too soon, I had arrived at my destination. Jack was there too, talking to the Doctor. As soon as I stepped into the console room, the Doctor looked up and watched me. I was too far away to observe the emotions that crossed his eyes, and I had no desire to approach him. I had gone to Rose who was the opposite of the Doctor. We watched each other, though for my part I shot the Doctor the darkest look I could make.

The room was silent, except for the constant and familiar sound of the Tardis. The silence was heavy, and you could cut the tension with a butter knife. It was Jack who decided to break the silence.

"What do we do?"

" I think a break with my mom would be a good idea,” Rose said. “Doctor, if you could ..."

She didn’t need to say more. The Doctor nodded in silence, flying the Tardis to take us to London, to Rose's, where Jackie was surely waiting for us. For the first time since the beginning of my trip with the Doctor, the driving of the Tardis was quiet and not chaotic as we were used to. The Tardis finally materialized at the same place where I had left Jackie and Mickey. Rose decided to take some dirty clothes to have them cleaned at her house. Jack stayed where he was, totally silent. He was watching us in silence.

I looked at the door with envy, the fresh air outside calling me. I took a few steps, getting ready to go down the stairs when the Doctor grabbed my wrist. I turned around quickly, pulling my wrist from his hand violently, almost slamming his hand.

"Don’t touch me ..." I hissed hatefully. “Don’t touch me! Stay away from me, don’t come near me, Putain!"

The Doctor withdrew his hand and step back a bit because of the extremely cold tone that I gave him. He had never seen me so furious, and generally my anger was for someone else. It was the first time I was mad at the Doctor.

“Alvia... I'm sorry ...”

“You are sorry?! It doesn’t work with me. I said no! I SAID NO! What didn’t you understand in what I said?!”

The Doctor was going to talk again but I cut him off. From the moment he called me, his voice made me insensible and I refused to hear him again.

"Shut up! Shut the fuck up, Doctor! I have no fucking desire to hear your voice. Do it and I'll send you my fist in your face. So, shut up and listen to me! I said no and even worse, you did it when I was unconscious! I could have just hated you, but you're used to it. I do not hate you, oh no! It's much worse than that! You  _disgust_   _me_ … "

As I spoke, spitting my venom at him, my tears flowed again. The Doctor, who was already ashamed, was even more so and his shoulders collapsed with grief at seeing my tears. Deep in me, I was happy to see the Doctor like that. After what he had done to me, he deserved all the suffering I inflicted on him.

Despite this satisfaction, it didn’t surpass the disgust, fury and hysteria that grew in me. And it was growing when I was in the presence of the Doctor. That was why I turned without a look and ran out of the Tardis. I fled between the buildings, before plunging into the streets of London blind, not paying attention to where I was heading.

I didn’t know how long I had run in London, but my legs, my feet ached. My lungs were burning in search of air, and I gasped as a stitch forced me to stop my run. I had not stopped walking, I was walking in the streets, ignoring passers-by. I ended up arriving in a park, where I sat on a bench. In front of me, there was a lake with ducks. But I was unaware of them too. I was unaware of everything. A storm rumbled and warned that the rain was near. I ignore passers-by who ran for shelter when the rain fell full force. I ignore passers-by with their umbrellas, who glanced at me while I was still on my bench, soaked to the skin, could not tell the difference between my tears and the rain.

And above all, I ignore this world which was not mine and which would never be.


	13. Kintsugi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> here it is ! the final part of the previous chapter.  
> is this considered a non-canon chapter? Because I'm always looking for a good words to put on the created chapters that are not episodes of Doctor Who. (please tell me)  
> In short, as in the last chapter I would like you to take into consideration that the written reaction in this chapter won't necessarily be in conformity with the reality and therefore won't be accurate (We don't cure trauma in a snap). For my part, I consider that the reactions I have written are those that I think are most appropriate. This is my opinion as an author, and the wonderful thing about this site is that you can tell me what you think by leaving me a reviews ;p.  
> The chapter is written, I don't change it but if I have to add a little bit of character to something else at Alvia in the next chapters, I will.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this chapter! I finally run out of chapters in advance and need to write new ones ;p ! Please, fav follow or leave a reviews if you want !

In the London’s streets, a man walked aimlessly, trapped in his dark thoughts. He was so far from home. His hands in his trouser pockets, his worn converse rubbed the pavement with each step and his long coat fluttered gently like a shadow. He had no emotions on his face, not a smile, not a frown; his face was empty of everything.

He was traveling without a destination until he reached a park. The rain had been falling for a few minutes and a storm was rumbling loudly, shaking his body. He wasn’t paying attention to passers-by walking under their umbrellas or to those running to stay dry. But his attention turned to an anomaly in his vision.

As the weather was dark and the rain fell again and again, wetting the grass and its soil, he spotted a bench. The bench was near a lake with some ducks in it. On this bench was a girl with a coat almost like his, and red hair.

The man's eyes were wide, recognizing the girl. A wave of sorrow rushed into his chest as he watched her tremble with cold in the rain. The girl was soaked to the bone despite the layer of clothing she was wearing. The man went to her, he removed his coat and as soon as he was behind her, he draped her shoulders with his coat, covering it with the little heat he could offer under this rainfall.

 

* * *

 

Lost in my thoughts and paying absolutely no attention to those around me, I was only aware of the rain falling on me and of every drop that tapped my cheeks. But when an unknown heat source covered my shoulders and back, I jumped, my attention back to reality. I turned to look at the man behind me.

I narrowed my eyes as I recognized the man. Hands in the pockets of his trousers, his legs crossed and a sweet smile with old and sorrowful eyes. If I was not so furious and my nerves were not so raw, I might have been worried about the negative emotions buried in his eyes. But it was absolutely not the case, and my whole being was tense, ready to flee or attack the man I was watching.

"When I said I wanted you away from me, that also counts for your other regeneration, _Doctor_!"

But the Doctor did not answer. The Doctor, whom I had never met before this moment and who was the spitting portrait of David Tennant gave me only a sad smile.

"What are you doing here? Isn't it dangerous to return to a time when you're already here?”

"The Tardis took me here, I'm completely there by chance. Where are we?” Babbled the Doctor cheerfully.

"No idea ... And if you are here by chance, go elsewhere!” I hissed.

The 10th Doctor chuckled at seeing me hiss and spit at him. There was nothing funny, absolutely nothing. I finally stopped cursing the Doctor, seeing that it was useless since he was just giggling. I could only stare at him somberly in silence.

"You know that despite what you think of me now, I have no regrets? You may not know it, but there was no other way to save you.”

"What?! Was that the best thing you could tell me, huh?!” I exclaimed furiously again.

The Doctor didn’t say anything. He was just watching me, with dark, impenetrable eyes, devoid of any emotions. He seemed to be looking for a good word, not wanting to give away anything that would reveal to my future. A future that I do not want to want again. I don’t think I can bear traveling with him. Even at the thought I'm outraged.

“Without you, I don’t think I could have survived what I lived," said the Doctor. “It was only thanks to you that I was able to survive certain situations, only because you were there to save me. Without you, I wouldn’t be here anymore. When I think back to when I lived with you I don’t regret anything, absolutely nothing.”

"I-I…”

I didn’t expect at all what he just told me. To say that I am surprised is a euphemism. My future self really had such a relationship with him? Was I even able to save someone other than myself? When I am barely able to take good care of myself?

I shook my head wanting to deny his words. But he went around the bench, standing in front of me, grabbing my shoulders and holding them tight but not enough to hold me in place.

"There’s so much I regret, Alvia. Things you know for sure. But at the risk of repeating myself, I don’t regret my actions. You are everything, not a regret.”

As he stared at me with serious, slightly sad eyes. I remained silent, staring at him with wide eyes. My nose suddenly tickled, and I sneezed suddenly. This reaction brought joy back into the Doctor's eyes as he began to giggle at my own expense. I started to blush with embarrassment before shivering due to the cold and the water from the rain running down my back. I tightened my coat and that of the Doctor’s on my shoulders, hugging myself. He took a few steps back before reaching out to me, a warm, sweet smile on his lips.

"Let's get some warmth and sheltered from the rain," he said carefully.

I reached for his outstretched hand, it was the same one that was going to be cut off—had been cut off—during the Sycorax invasion. He wiggled his fingers as in the episode and I stretched mine gently, like a wounded and wild animal before putting it in his. He closed his fingers around mine. I tensed before relaxing immediately. He gently pulled my arm to make sure I stood, and he dared not try and hold my hand. His coat was dragging on the ground and I had to return it to avoid the bottom being damaged due to my size.

In silence, the Doctor took me to London in search of a cafe still open. We ended up finding one and it seemed vaguely familiar. The waitress who was on duty went to get us some towels to wipe ourselves off while we sat at a table with comfortable seats. When the waitress returned with the warm and dry towels, she took our orders. Orders that the Doctor paid to my surprise. It seemed he really had money in his larger-on-the-inside pockets. It would have been very useful when we didn't pay for our meals and had to run for our lives.

The Doctor ordered tea and hot chocolate, as well as what to eat when he heard my belly gurgling. I had not eaten since we landed on this damn planet. Thus, a few minutes later—when I had rubbed my hair vigorously with the towel—the lady who served us came back with a large teapot that steamed, three cups—one of which gave off the smell of hot chocolate—and some pastries. We thanked her and she left shaking her head and a satisfied smile.

The cup of chocolate was hot on contact with my palms. I had to wait a little and blow onto the thick liquid before I could take it in hand, ignoring the heat and slowly enjoy it. I moaned softly at the taste; it was delicious. How long had I not had a good hot chocolate? Too long if I can’t remember. Maybe I was still at home when I drank one.

To relax the tension between us, the Doctor discussed the last adventures we had without mentioning the last one I came from. And it was a really long time to be furious with someone who could make you smile and laugh. It's frustrating. The Doctor really managed to tear me away laughing and smiling, remembering the ridiculous scenes we experienced together. Like the time we landed on a planet with natives who took everything in the first degree and did not understand the concept of metaphor. Or the time we went to an alien market positioned on an asteroid chain that moved randomly and it took at least a week to return to the TARDIS because of random shifts.

It was with an amused smile that I finished my cup of chocolate and ate some of the apple pies. The Doctor was giving me a distraction and he seemed to enjoy remembering the good old days. As he recounted a new memory, I began to look at him more closely, nodding from time to time. It was while watching him that I noticed the dark circles under his brown eyes that were so expressive. I even noticed some wrinkles on the corner of his eyes. That's when I wondered where this Doctor in front of me came from. His body—although young—seemed to have lived a long time. Where did he come from? From Torchwood with the Battle of Canary Wharf? The Valiant, tortured for a year by the Master? Had he saved reality threatened by Davros and the Daleks? Had he been on Mars? Was he going to face the Master and his people again? I couldn’t read him. I couldn’t even figure out where he’d been. If he had worn his blue suit, I might have been able to guess where he was, but unfortunately, he was wearing his brown suit.

I carried the cup of tea to my lips, enjoying the taste of slightly sweet black tea on my tongue. I snatched my eyes from the Doctor to turn to the window on my left and I observed the main street lit by streetlights and was crossed by a few people with their umbrellas and taxis. I watched the rain continue to fall much lighter than earlier. The storm was no longer rumbling, and lightning no longer illuminated the rainy sky.

We both finished the food and drank the rest of the tea silently, staring at each other from time to time and avoiding eye contact. I circled the warm cup of tea with both my hands to warm them up when I tapped the rhythm of four with one finger on the cup. It was a reflex that I had adopted since I first saw the Master in Doctor Who, I only tapped it when I was nervous, stressed or in deep thought. And that didn’t go unnoticed by the Doctor. He pulled my hand to put it on the table and he put his hand in mine, preventing me from doing anything. His hand was cooler than mine, and he moved again, drawing my eyes to our hands. He intertwined his fingers with mine. I didn’t reach return the contact.

Time passed and the tea in the teapot was slowly emptying, but it was an hour later when the cafe that welcomed us as a refuge had to close. The Doctor and I were in the street, our bodies warm and slightly damp in the icy cold of the formerly rainy London night. I closed my coat by buttoning it before plunging my hands into the pockets of the coat.

“I don’t want to go back ..." I murmured, thrusting my head into his shoulder.

"We don’t have to go now. We can still hang out if you want,” he offered looking for my hand to hold.

It was an idea I liked, hanging out in London. Since, I hadn’t visited London yet. Besides, I didn’t do it in my old world and just to think about my world made my mood fall again. To confirm, I nodded and gently bummed the Doctor's hand so he could take it. I didn’t think I was capable of initiating proper contact. We walked the streets of London which was asleep. At this time the city seemed silent. It was rare to meet anyone.

We walked for... I do not know how long in the silence before the absence of noise weighed me down and started to drive me crazy. I began to hum a few tunes that went through my head, songs I like, movies from Ghibli studio, series such as Game of Thrones, Sherlock or even Doctor Who. From the corner of my eye, I could see that the Doctor had become attentive to what I was singing, and he didn’t seem to recognize all the tunes that I hummed. It was while humming the 'Shepherd's Boy' that he spoke.

"I recognize this tune. How many times I was surprised to listen to this music," recalled the Doctor. "And I still don’t know where this music comes from. You never told me."

I smiled softly as I heard a slight, disappointed tone in his voice.

"Shepherd's Boy.”

"What?”

"That's the name of the song. She was composed by Murray Gold for the Doctor Who.”

"This is the series about me, if I remember correctly, isn’t it?"

I confirmed his question with an affirmative hum. He tried with very little subtlety to guess when this music could have been played in his life by asking me questions; questions that I answered with an air of mystery and an amused smile. He begged me until I finally let go of that word so well-known and so annoying.

"Spoilers!"

The Doctor complained that it was not fair and started to whine like a child. The pout on his face was so hilarious that I could not hold back a laugh. My laughter calmed down shortly after and we walked back into silence. I was not humming anymore because this time the silence was not heavy. On the contrary, it was nice.

The hour turned, and as my feet ached and begged for rest. We were walking quietly on the way to the Powell Estate. We were still far away, and at our pace the morning would soon be here. London was slowly coming to life as we got closer; taxi drivers poured in, the night workers went home and those who worked days woke up slowly. Gradually, the silence of sleep disappeared to turn into a pleasant background noise for the moment.

Despite this, the way back was not direct. We made a long detour via Downing Street. We told each other anecdotes of the past in relation to number 10, which was still under reconstruction. We passed 221B Baker Street and the street that hosted Sherlock's filming in my world. But eventually all good things come to an end. The field was in my range of vision, and my apprehension returned as I advanced.

At each step, I felt my eyes sting and my tears appear again as panic invaded my body viciously. It was near a park that panic became too much and I was in a crisis. I was gasping for air and a nausea caused by stress came into my stomach.

Fortunately, the Doctor was considerate and attentive. As he entered my field of vision, he showed me that he was going to initiate contact. And for proof, a few seconds later, he moved to take me in his arms. His arms wrapped around me, gently and forcefully plunging me to his chest, while one of his hands gently rubbed my back in comfort. He whispered soothing words that I couldn’t catch until I paid attention.

When the panic disappeared and I finally calmed down, all the negative effects of my body had gone away. I tried to initiate a hug. I did it with success. My arms rose to wrap around his body and I turned my head so it could lay on his chest, listening to the Doctor's two beating hearts. The rhythm of four cradled me as we both remained in comfortable silence.

But this silence didn’t last long since the Doctor spoke to me again in a soft voice.

"Do you hate me?"

His voice wasn’t that soft. It seemed almost like a weak voice ready to break and turn into a tearing sob. It was a voice like the one he used just before he regenerated.

"I could never," I whispered. "Even if I really wanted to, I could never hate you ...”

I stepped back to finally look at him, observe him deeply. Freckles under his eyes and the top of his cheekbones. And his eyes… Oh, his eyes…

His eyes were so brown with a slight shade of gold almost imperceptible to the one who did not pay attention to the smallest details. His eyes that have seen so much, eyes so old and yet so expressive. So expressive that even I could guess his condition, his emotions or lack of.

"I had time to think…” I confessed. “And ... even though ... even though that everything was …”

"Alvia,” interrupted the Doctor.

"Shut up, if I don’t speak now, I don’t know if I'll be able to do it later,” I said quickly before inhaling deeply, looking for the right words. “What I meant was, that despite what you did was wrong, despite this, this nightmare situation ... I'm glad you saved me ..." I continued. "I cannot imagine what would have happened if you hadn’t kept me alive. I was scared, afraid of my own body, my reactions and how I felt. Pain, pleasure, heat, cold. I was scared, so scared. I was afraid of death, of dying. I was scared, like when I was alone with the Dalek at Van Statten’s. I was so close to death ... and when I saw that you saved me, despite my openness, I accused you, insulted you, cursed you ... I'm sorry Doctor, for everything."

During all the time I spoke the Doctor no longer tried to cut me off. His gaze had become solemn and he seemed attentive to the slightest word. A happy, happy smile filled his face as I finished speaking.

"What I mean is ... I don’t blame you anymore …”

"Thank you ... Thank you. You don’t know how much it matters to me,” he said slowly.

I shook my head slightly.

"Because… what I did to you, was much worse than killing my people. And when I think back to how I lived, I sometimes think that having you by my side was the best thing. I didn’t lie about the fact that you saved me many times ..."

A part of me wanted to ask what he was talking about. I knew it was clearly my future and I was going to live it, and knowing my own future was a very bad idea. But despite this curiosity, I remained silent and kept the questions deep inside me.

The sun was already overhanging the buildings when we finally separated. Maybe people saw us, but we were both in a kind of bubble, not paying attention to the environment. I looked indirectly at the sun, when I realized that I had probably worried others by my disappearance. The Doctor told me that indeed, they had died of anxiety during all the time I had disappeared. It was time to say goodbye. I didn’t really want to, but my Doctor didn’t know where I was. It seems that he didn’t want to leave me too, for some reason that I didn’t know. We both delayed the deadline by still discussing everything and nothing, babbling as best we could. But there was a moment when all subjects were exhausted, and time passed.

I took a step back, committing to our goodbyes.

"I'd better go ... they're waiting ..." I tried weakly, gesturing.

"Yeah …”

His smile was extremely sad and painful. My heart ached at the idea that our good-bye was making the Doctor suffer. I only wanted to erase the feelings of that smile and ensure that it is only fueled by joy and laughter. I forced a smile that turned out to be sincere and while I was really going to say goodbye, he grabbed my neck and made me advance to him until no space existed between us.

It took me a few seconds to realize that the Doctor was kissing me with passion and despair. He moved his lips to mine, waiting for me to answer. Was I shocked? Surprised? In truth, I didn’t expect him to kiss me in any of his regenerations. Me, who asked questions about his lips, his sweetness and everything else in a few private moments I could experience. His lips were soft, nothing to complain about. It was a little cooler than mine like his hands, probably due to his biology. I could not help analyzing this kiss but when the hand on my neck stroked me gently and his other hand rested bit above my hip, bringing me closer to him. Then, all my thoughts flew away and I answered his kiss. He seemed to want to share emotions with me through this kiss.

His lips rubbed mine, leading a dance that I practiced very little in my old world. Our kiss remained soft and didn’t go further. When I ran out of air he drew back, putting his forehead against mine, our eyes closed enjoying this moment; sweet and filled with affection and maybe even more. He put a soft and gentle kiss quickly on my lips before finally back and say goodbye.

He gave me one last look before turning around and leaving. He left, walking his hands in his pockets, coat slowly floating behind him and the soles of his converse slowly rubbing the old wet asphalt from time to time. When he was out of sight, I finally moved, walking towards Jackie's apartment. I put a hand on my lips, still feeling the warmth of our kiss, blushing gradually. I now had more questions in my mind. Among all these questions only one came back most often, why did the Doctor kiss me? Not that I was complaining. Absolutely not. But what had been a fantasy, a dream, had just happened a few minutes ago. And unfortunately, all the questions that were spinning in my mind would remain unanswered for a good while.

It took me ten minutes to find the right building. It was when I saw the Tardis parked in the same place as in the first episodes of season 1, that I finally found my way. I made as little noise as I could when I passed the Tardis, not wanting to see the Doctor first. I climbed the stairs quickly, regretting it when I arrived on the floor with my legs and feet screaming. Finally, in front of the door of Jackie's apartment, I raised my fist in the air before knocking four times on the wooden door.

It was Jack who opened the door, and he immediately took me in his arms when he saw me. I tensed unconsciously for a few seconds before relaxing and returning the hug. He led me inside, where it was much hotter than outside. He called Rose and Jackie, and I was locked in a group hug of females. When I was finally released from all hugs and I finished answering all the questions asked—leaving out the fact that the future incarnation of the Doctor was with me almost all along and the kiss that we exchanged—I was free to take a hot shower, eat properly and rest; fatigue taking me over quickly. It was about 10 o'clock in the morning when I put my head on the cushion on which I slept for almost a year during Rose's disappearance; and it was almost 5 pm when I woke up, as night began to fall. I only woke up because my bladder was threatening to burst.

I got dressed in the same clothes I wore, cleaned during the day by Jackie and still hot because it was sitting by a radiator. I drank a cup of tea and debated with Rose and Jack whether I wanted to go see the Doctor. Both wanted me to let the time go a bit longer before I went, while I wanted to go see him now, wanting to settle this and leave it behind. I was rather stubborn, and unfortunately for Rose and Jack, I had the last word. I was going to see and talk to the Doctor.

I slipped on my coat  waving in front of the front door before giving a confident smile to the duo. I went down the stairs as usual and when I was out of the building, I headed for the Tardis. I pulled my necklace out, caressing my ring and the key hanging from the metal chain swaying to the rhythm of my steps. The closer I got to the marvelous blue box, the warmth and the soft golden glow surrounded the key and my hand at the same time. I finally stood in front of the blue wooden doors, my free hand gently caressing the painted wood that vibrated softly at my touch.

I put the key in the lock and turned it to unlock the door, opening it before I went inside and closed the door. I went through these doors countless times, and yet today I felt like I was going back to the first time. At the time I was different. We change certainly, but some changes are much more important than we think. And today, I saw the world with new eyes. That's why I felt like I saw the inside in a different way than before.

I tucked my necklace in the back pockets of my pants, having in mind to make some changes a little later. My eyes slid everywhere, eagerly eyeing the console. The lights were dim and a little darker than usual, the console illuminated the rest of the room with its green light. My footsteps echoed weakly on the floor and the fence of the steps and the platform. I was looking for the shape of the Doctor before finally calling him when I couldn’t find him.

"Doctor?"

A noise came from the other side and seemed a bit choking.

"Doctor?” I repeated. “It's Alvia, I need to talk."

This time, the noise that was suffocating just before was no longer. A movement behind the console caught my eye and I walked towards this source of noises and movements.

The Doctor, whom I thought untraceable in the end, was only under the fence, repairing or modifying cables and electronic cards of the Tardis. He gave me a surprised look as soon as I entered his field of vision. The Doctor, who was not wearing his leather jacket, tucked his sonic screwdriver into a back pocket of his pants and finally climbed to the same level as me. He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple moving up and down.

“Alvia," greeted the Doctor. "I thought you didn’t want to see me anymore ..." he said with a tone of sadness.

"I changed my mind," I said, gesturing with my hand.

“You said you want to talk?"

I confirmed with a gentle nod. The Doctor calmly shifted against the console, unconsciously twitching his hands nervously.

I wasn’t going to make the same speech as in his future incarnation, I was just going to make it short. The long speech will be known to him in his future.

"I forgive you," I said without preamble.

The Doctor choked on my words. He did not expect it at all.

"What?” He exclaimed incredulously.

"I said—"

"I know what you said! But how?! Why?!” Questioned the Doctor.

"The reasons are mine, all you must know is that I forgive you.”

"But how can you forgive me?!” Replied the Time Lord. “Damn it, Alvia, I _raped_ you!”

"I know exactly what you did to me," I assured myself a bit coldly. "Although, I don’t forgive the acts themselves, I forgive you because without you I would be dead. And that if it hadn’t been you it could very well have been Jack. Nobody knows what could have happened if you didn’t do it. And don’t give me the excuse that you could have seen with exact precision what could have been," I quickly assented seeing the Doctor was about to argue. "Damn ... I wanted to be short ..." I whispered rubbing the bridge of my nose. "Listen, what is done is done. I am alive. It’s not without consequences. But I care too much for you, not to forgive you. May we please forget this event and never talk about it, ever again?"

The Doctor, who had his mouth open and seemed to have lost words, hesitated a few moments before agreeing to what I proposed. It seemed like a proposal he liked because he didn’t argue about it.

Now that I had said everything I wanted to say, I decided to go to my room to pick up my phone before going to the library. I hardly took a step when the Doctor spoke again, worry being heard in his voice.

"Where’re you going?”

"Bedroom, then library," I said. "As soon as Jack and Rose are fit to come back for new adventures, can I suggest a destination?”

"You still want to travel?” Asked the Doctor, not wishing to believe the whole situation.

"Of course, Doctor!” I replied with a smile. “I'm not going to leave you three all the time and space, and someone must be a ginger when you're all so rude,” I joked, referring to the description 'Rude and not Ginger'.

"Oi! You too are rude sometimes,” the Doctor teased.

"But I'm ginger all the time!” I sang with amusement.

"What is the relationship between being rude and ginger?”

"Spoilers!” I concluded, winking at him.

And I left him with those words, walking joyfully to my room. The Doctor called me, wanting to know more, but I only laughed as I heard him shout my name. I shook my head with amusement, for nothing in the world would I turn my back on the Tardis, offering all the time and the universe. For nothing in the world, would I give up every opportunity to laugh and tease the Doctor. For nothing in the world, would I leave the Doctor.

 


	14. Boom Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! New chapter!
> 
> Thank you for your reviews for the last two chapters, you took them better than I thought!
> 
> We leave in a canon episode and I'm a little sad because we arrive at the end of season 1.
> 
> As the usual, don't forget to leave a reviews, fav or follow! (both, both is good). Enjoy this chapter!

I couldn't say how many months had passed since the incident. And to say that I had repercussions was completely wrong. I looked physically and mentally healthy, but some gestures and reflexes proved the opposite. First of all, my outfit: I, who previously wore a simple t-shirt with my coat, found myself wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt under the graphic t-shirt I loved so much.

I had let my hair grow down to my neck, like a kind of shield. The locks that usually fell in my face were pulled back and tied, preventing the rest of my hair from going forward. I had lost the habit of putting on makeup, doing a simple line of eyeliner with very little mascara for my eyelashes. No eye powders or lipsticks. I was absolutely simple.

I had lost weight too, although most of it was thanks to the race. Unfortunately, the rest came from a kind of paranoia that I had developed since the incident. I did not trust food that I had not cooked or did not come from the TARDIS. I was developing a problem with food, I was extremely conscious of it and despite the efforts I was trying to combat this paranoia, it remained.

Same for contact, although it took me some time to be able to initiate contact with the Doctor on my own or not to jump when Jack or the Doctor took my hand without warning. On the other hand, I refused any contact with a human or extraterrestrial stranger. Only animals were the exception, it seemed.

I had lost my belly, had refined in my legs and arms. Looking at myself in the mirror, I was trying to compare myself to my mother's memory of her body, and I thought I should have almost the same body size now. My mother ... Only a few pictures on my phone allowed me to remember her face, but now it was impossible for me to remember her voice. Same for my father.

I blinked, preventing any tears from running, taking a tissue to dab the moisture in my eyes.

Sitting in the library with a book by Terry Pratchett on my lap, I reread for the third time the same sentence. I put in a bookmark before closing the book and setting it on the coffee table. I put on my red conversions, lacing my shoes before heading down the hall to join the trio in the console room.

I finally arrived in the room to see Mickey Smith.

"It's Mickey!"

"Hey! Mickey Mouse! How are you?" I exclaimed with joy and humor.

"Don't you go there too!" He complained.

I only gave him a big smirk for an answer.

"Don't listen to them, they're just joking," reassured Rose.

"You look beautiful."

The couple hugged me as I joined Jack's side. The Doctor was up high with a flashing red headlamp around his head.

"Awww, look at that, it's sweet! Why don't I ever get any of that?"

"Because you'll want to sleep with the person you're holding in your arms, Jack."

"Why sleep with you when I can cuddle you?"

"Because I'm the exception. But if you really want it, buy the Doctor a drink first."

"Such a hard work."

"But worth it!" The Doctor smiled extremely satisfied.

I would have teased the Doctor but not this time—remembering what had happened between us. But it seemed that this secret was going to be kept in the shadows. Did he have these moments?

Rose and Mickey chatted a bit, talking about a passport and the Doctor joined the conversation. There was a moment when the silence in the Tardis became uncomfortable until Mickey cut off the tension.

"So, what brings you to Cardiff? And where does 'Jumping Jack Flash' come from? I have nothing against 'Big ears' …"

"Oi!"

"Look in a mirror, mate."

I let out an amused snort as the Doctor shook his head and went back to work.

"But him," said Mickey nodding towards Jack. "I don't know, he's kinda …"

"Seductive?"

"More like cheesy."

"Early 21st Century slang. Is cheesy good or bad?"

"Bad."

"But bad means good, doesn't it?"

"Not on that one, Jack," I said, sitting down on the pilot seat.

The Doctor joined the conversation as he descended the ladder and stood next to me.

"Are you saying I'm not handsome?"

"Oh, you certainly are," I whispered softly so as not to make myself heard.

A blush settled on my cheeks as I heard a deep chuckle coming from the Doctor. It seems I was heard when I didn't want to be. Never mind.

Rose explained to her boyfriend that the TARDIS had to fill up on the fault that was in Cardiff. She quickly told the story with the Gelth too. But judging by his face, Mickey had long stalled after the explanation on refueling. But that did not stop Rose from continuing and she ended up doing a high-five to the Doctor and Jack. It looked like five-year-olds having fun like crazy and claiming to be clever.

"Oh my god, and you think you're smart?" Mickey asked in disbelief.

The trio answered, while I giggled with laughter. Jack took the opportunity to give a friendly pat on Mickey's cheek.

As we had the day free, we decided to go eat—my gurgling stomach and that of Rose's helped a lot in the search for an activity. But before going out, having been warned that it was winter outside, I went to get my long coat. It was while going to retrieve black mittens that I noticed something on my bed. A scarf. A special scarf. I put my hand on the soft woolly fabric before smiling softly. I circled my neck several times before leaving the rest hanging. It fit me perfectly and fell to the same level as my coat. I was not going to walk on it. I adjusted the scarf in front of my face, making sure it hid my mouth a little but if I smiled it could be seen.

I thanked Sexy for her gift and I finally set out to get out of the TARDIS. It was a shock for the Doctor to see me with a replica of his old scarf.

"B-But is ... that scarf...?"

"Yup!" I said, exaggerating the "p."

"How?"

"Tardis's gift!"

"I feel like she loves you more than me," he moaned.

"Careful Doctor, she loves me so much, she could let me steal her," I teased, winking at her and caressing the console.

He glanced suspiciously at his ship. Sexy seemed to laugh at the Doctor, as the lights flickered happily and beeping quickly. As soon as I walked in the door, the smell of salt invaded my nose and my lungs. I took the opportunity to inhale deeply and take advantage of this pleasant smell. On my right I could see Cardiff Bay. And behind the Tardis was the water fountain, which was right above the headquarters of Torchwood 3. So, I was above Torchwood. A slight feeling of uneasiness settled inside me. Torchwood was still under the London regime, so I couldn't trust the Torchwood from here completely. Plus, I don't even know if the immortal Jack was here today.

"Wait, the Tardis. We can't just leave it. Doesn't it get noticed?"

I felt my smile come back while I watched with great affection this box so bigger on the inside, a beautiful marvelous blue box.

"The Tardis has a chameleon circuit that allows her to take on the appearance of his environment," I told Mickey, drawing the attention of the three to me. "Should we have been in the past, it would have probably taken the appearance of a statue or a column. But the Doctor landed in the '60s and the Tardis got stuck in this form. I can't tell you the face he made when he found out," I snickered, glancing at the man in question. "And I think that if he repaired the circuit Chameleon, the Tardis would keep this appearance. "

Rose wondered how I could know all that when the Doctor rolled his eyes as I spoke of his first incarnation.

"But that's what I mean!" Mickey adds with a smile. "There is no more box like this nowadays, so doesn't it get noticed?"

"Rickey, let me tell you a few words about the human race. You put a mysterious blue box in the city center and what do they do?" Resumed the Doctor before putting his hands-on Mickey's shoulders, as he remained silent. "They pass by. Don't insist anymore and let's go."

The Doctor took the lead while walking towards a bar or restaurant near the wharf. I quickly joined his side, but still leaving a space between us.

"People assume the Tardis is a sort of modern art exhibition," I confided to the Doctor. "And that's when they notice the Tardis despite the perception's filter."

"Ah ... you know, about the circuit. Didn't you tell me you didn't know anything about 'classics'?"

"I said I didn't see them. I know a few pieces here and there, but I cannot do a whole lecture," I finished shrugging.

The group and I walked to find a restaurant at the end of the dock. We had a table for five and ordered our food and drinks. It was while waiting for our dishes that a woman entered the restaurant and went to our table.

I had already seen this woman somewhere; I was sure of it. And it was certainly in an episode. She had with her a paper and an envelope.

"I'm looking for some ... Alvia?" She asked, reading instructions on the paper. "I must give you this letter."

"From who?"

"I received the order to tell you that it came from my boss, and that you would understand," she said with a frown, not understanding all this mystery around the letter.

And indeed, I understood. The woman in front of me. It was Suzie Costello, the one who was going to kill three people for a glove and get resurrected by stealing Gwen Cooper's life. I unconsciously pinched my lips in a neutral expression as I watched her. And the boss was Jack, of course. What did he want? I took the letter she handed me, thanking Suzie for bringing it to me. The woman left without a look back and without a word.

All had their eyes fixed on the letter I held in my hand. I returned to observing it and to see if anything was written on it and indeed, there were some things written on the front of the letter. In a well-written calligraphy made with a fountain pen and blue ink was written: Alvia Saxon.

Seeing the name that accompanied my name I pinched my lips again. If I had the opportunity, I wouldn't pick this family name. On all my identity papers I bore the name of Saxon. But when the Master was going to appear, I was probably going to have so many problems.

"I didn't know that your last name is Saxon," commented the Doctor, leaning towards the letter to read the two words. "Why didn't you tell us? Don't you like your last name?"

"It's not the name that bothers me, it's the person who will wear the same name and what will result," I confessed without specifying my thoughts.

The Doctor frowned at my confession. He suspected that I was referring to someone in the future. But ignoring his doubt, I returned to my letter. I opened it to remove a letter folded in half. When I opened it, I read:

Let's have dinner.

QG T

7:45 p.m.

Come alone and be beautiful

Can't wait to see you, Foxy.

You know who I am.

An amused smile settled on my lips while reading the words written on the paper. I replaced the paper in the envelope before putting it in the left pocket of my coat.

"What was that?"

"I've got a date tonight. For dinner," I explained with a laugh in my voice.

"Ooh," cooed Jack, suddenly interested. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"Let's say it's the man who gave me life in this world. It's thanks to him that I have identity papers."

The group nodded understanding. Although the Doctor frowned; of annoyance or jealousy, I could not define it. But his mood was cut off when the waiter finally arrived with our orders and we ate. For the first time since I arrived in this world, I ate a fish n'chips.

During the meal, Jack began telling us anecdotes about his former job as a scammer and as a former Timekeeper. All his stories were crazier and more amazing than the others. So crazy, that we were all out of breath from laughing constantly. For my part, this was the case. I was against the table, tears in my eyes and red faced as I laughed. It was hard to stop laughing and my lungs begged for as much air as I could inhale.

"I swear! I swear! The white things turn out to be tusks! Real ones! Oh, and he was furious when he woke up."

"How could you not know it was there?" asked the Doctor.

"There were fifteen of us, completely naked. I was there and said: 'I didn't do anything!'," Jack continued. "Then he roars, we run away, Brakovitch falls and I tell him …"

"I knew we should've turned left!" Cut off Mickey.

We laughed again as Mickey stole Jack's reply.

"Hey, that's my line!"

We kept laughing but suddenly the Doctor spotted something and got up to see this thing in question. I turned and laughed before I saw the Doctor read a newspaper before turning it around and showing us the Slitheen on Downing Street. His face was troubled.

"The day was so nice!"

It was when I saw the newspaper, and my good mood fell immediately. A knot settled in my belly as I slowly looked up at the Doctor. It was the 11th episode before the end of the series. In a short time, we will be on the Five satellite, with the Daleks. And the Doctor was going to regenerate into his tenth persona. Even though I had spent a lot of time with this Doctor, I felt like it was too short.

Jack of course asked what the problem with the woman on the newspaper was. The Doctor sat down at the table and began to tell what had happened. Spaceships crashing into the Thames 'slightly' destroying Big Ben, destroying 10 Downing Street while we were still inside, and all the information about the Slitheen family. We had agreed to visit Margaret regardless of her plan. So, we gathered as much information as possible about her.

After paying for our meal, we headed towards the town hall. I readjusted my scarf as we climbed the stairs watching the foursome invade the steps of the lobby as if they owned the building.

"According to our information, she is the last member of the Slitheen, a criminal family of the planet Raxacoricofallapatorius." Jack announced, removing his gloves and scarf. "It takes human form by slipping into a skin. Okay! Attack Plan: Strategy 57/56 is applied. We cover all the exits of the ground floor. Doctor, go to exit 1. I cover the exit 2. Rose, the 3 and Mickey, the 4. Alvia you take the one you want, understood?" Jack ordered.

While Jack was talking, the Doctor ended up looking at him in surprise at Jack's sudden handling of the place. Rose was trying to understand the plan and Mickey ... Mickey was just lost. I was feeling sorry for Mickey. He had been written as a character that was a little naughty and comical, but it was so humiliating for him. I really appreciated the development of Mickey's character in his last appearance. It seems that his time in the parallel universe had been good. But for the moment, it was not Mickey's agent from Torchwood, a Cybermen fighter. It was Mickey the Idiot, the one who lived in ridiculous situations and who was angry that Rose abandons him to travel in space.

"Excuse me." Finally intervened the Doctor with a little severity. "Who's in charge?"

"Sorry. Waiting for orders, sir!"

"Right, here's the plan." Assured the Doctor with the deep voice of authority before pausing and smiling. "Like he said, good plan! Anything else?"

"This is the reason why we don't take you seriously," I sniffed with humor.

"Present your weapons!"

And we all pulled our phone each in turn. The quartet had what was an antique for me, a Nokia 3310. I looked out of place with my touch screen phone from 2017.

"Ready," we all said.

The phones chirped as they prepared for quick dialing, and I only gently tapped the screen to turn it on.

"See ya in hell," Jack said, and ran off.

The Doctor and Rose also left on their side. I stayed with Mickey who was more than lost. I hit his arm with my elbow before nodding towards where we were going. He was walking quietly, and I urged him to hurry just in case.

I watched the corridors carefully, wanting to be ready to run when the time came. That's when Mickey started a conversation.

"It's crazy ... you've lived almost a year at Jackie's, you're adventuring with the Doctor, Rose and that guy, but I still don't know who you are."

"Life is full of mystery ..." I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"Not that I must blame you. You saved me with Jackie when there were those green things on Downing Street. Plus, the Doctor seems to be rather taken with you," he continued. "At least it's not Rose, he murmurs bitterly."

It was this bitterness that forced me to stop, I turned my head towards him before finally speaking.

"She doesn't deserve you ... Rose, I mean. I know I'm not able to judge your relationship, but I know that somewhere there is the perfect person for you."

"How would you know?" He asked with a little anger in his voice.

"I know you do not know me much, but you can trust me. When I tell you that there is someone for you, it's true ... "

I was going to say other things when our phones rang suddenly. In a fast movement we put our devices close to our ears.

"Slitheen heading north!"

Mickey and I shared a look and headed for our post. We were much closer than Mickey could have been alone in the series. I managed to make Mickey avoid the housekeeper's trolley and get a foot stuck in a bucket. I managed to somehow run faster than Mickey and as I saw the exit getting closer, I took a sprint. As soon as I was outside, my eye caught a movement and I swung my foot in a rapid movement in the air, banging the person running, which turned out to be Blon Slitheen aka Margaret. She began to moan with pain, and before she could run away, I grabbed her in a basic Aikido grip that I hardly remembered, and I didn't think I had the opportunity to use outside my old dojo in Lyon. I tore out of her hands what had to be a teleportation device.

Rose came first, followed by Jack, the Doctor, and Mickey. Jack whistled in surprise at the scene I was presenting.

"Nice shot Alvia, that's a beautiful fish you caught."

"A totally random kick and 2 years of Aikido," I proudly boast. "I was the mascot of my dojo!"

I suddenly threw Margaret's rescue device to Jack, who caught it in the air.

"Teleportation," I said to the group's curious eyes. "Although I guess she could have charged you Doctor, and that would have been a good joke, but I prefer to save time. "

The Doctor raised his eyebrows at the mention of saving time.

"It's persecution! Why don't you let me go? What did I ever do to you?"

"You mean apart from trying to kill us and destroy the whole planet?" I snorted, releasing Margaret, who stood up with difficulty and without my help.

"Yes! Why take so much care on this stupid piece of rock?"

"Because we're the stupid idiots who live on it!" I replied.

I swear I heard the Doctor mutter that he was not a moron.

After this nice little talk, the Doctor intervened to put him between her and me. Especially since she gave me a glare that really did not say anything good. Like almost the same look as an angry, hungry bear. A look that said, "I'm going to do something terrible to you." It reminds me of a song by the way ... what was it called?

A few minutes later we were in his office, having passed a young secretary who seemed horrified to see the Doctor again. We were alone with her, as she was complaining about becoming a native. The two non-humans as well as the native humans of this universe who were in the room were discussing the project of the nuclear power station which was as if by 'chance' on the Cardiff fault. For my part, since I was reliving the episode, I preferred to walk quietly in the room, hands in pockets. My eyes fell on the bottles of champagne that were on the side.

Did I tell you that I had developed alcoholism? I'm not proud of it and I try not to drink, but I could not take my eyes off any bottle of alcohol. And I had the misfortune of experiencing my first hangover a few days after the Gloria Trax III incident, though I don't drink at the typical Landes parties. It's horrible to become an alcoholic, and even more to be aware of it. Fortunately, I had help: the team Tardis. they made sure that I didn't drink at every party we went to, and then to my surprise the Tardis. Any alcohol that could have been on the ship had simply disappeared, even Jack's hypervodka.

I looked at the man who had the space surfboard in his arms. Explaining to Mickey and Rose what it was. My eyes finally turned to the Doctor who was not moving and was silent. He was staring at a banner, the project banner where he wrote "BLAIDD DRWG" but also "Llwynog" as a partnership.

"Where did the name come from?" Asked the Doctor, initiating a new topic of discussion.

"What? Blaidd Drwg? It's Welsh."

"I know, thank you. But how did you think about it?"

"Chose it at random, it sounded good, that's all." Margaret answered, getting closer to the Doctor. "Does it matter?"

He turned around with a frown. "Blaidd Drwg …"

"What's it means?" Asked Rose slightly worried.

"Bad Wolf," I said in a dark voice.

Are you scared of the big bad wolf, Doctor? I thought seriously. Bad Wolf was such an important entity for this world and for the Doctor. I would do everything for this entity to create itself, even force Rose to look at the heart of Tardis. It is true that I am one of the companions of the Doctor, but I will never forget that I am only there because he wanted me on the Tardis. I would never pretend to want to replace the true companions of the Doctor, let alone those who were extremely important to him. I was kissed by the Doctor, yes. But that might not mean anything. Many people must kiss the Doctor or vice versa. I'm not the first and I will certainly not be the last.

"I've heard it before …" said Rose with a haunted voice. "Bad Wolf ... I've heard that lots of times…"

"Wherever we go, two words following us ... Bad Wolf."

"How can words following us?"

Because they are sent through all of time and space, I mused.

"And Llwynog? What does it mean?" Jack asked, looking at the name of the partnership.

"I'm not sure," Margaret hesitated. "But it seems that's the fox."

"Fox? Why a fox?"

"I don't know," she said disdainfully. "It's only a partnership. I've never met the man at the head of the company, the only thing I know is that the leader of Llwynog is so devious and sly."

"Like a fox?" I asked with a thought in my head.

"Exactly."

"Now what's strange is that since I've been here, I've always been compared to a fox." I mentioned looking at the Doctor.

He stared at the void for a few seconds and then changed his mood immediately.

"Nah! Just a coincidence! it's like hearing a word on the radio and then hearing it all day long. And I've already told you Alvia, it's the red hair!"

I admired the Doctor to be able to put aside the biggest mystery as if it were nothing. Really. But I'm not the Doctor. Being too often compared to a fox in this world is too suspicious for me to put aside. So, I made myself a mental note to start doing research and bring this mystery to a stop as soon as this adventure ends.

"Good! Margaret, we'll take you home!" He said, clapping his hands.

"Let her go? Isn't that the easy way?" Asked the captain.

"I can't believe it!" Rose exclaimed. "We get to go to Raxa ... "

Rose stumbled over the name of the planet. Raxacoricofallapatorius, it is rather simple as words when we in France we have "unconstitutionally» and "congolexicomatisation", although the last one doesn't mean anything at all. Thank you, Eddie Malou, for the invention of the last word!

The Doctor rolled his eyes and Rose exclaimed indignantly before trying again and finally succeed with the help of the Doctor. Both burst with joy and an amused smile was on my lips as well as Jack's. But of course, the good things don't last long, and Margaret immediately broke the mood by informing us that the death penalty was being practiced on her planet and that her family had been sentenced to death as soon as she set foot on their own Earth. Despite this intervention, the Doctor got the last words saying that it was not his problem.

So, what were we doing now? it was out of the question to let her escape. Jack suggested that we take her back to the Tardis and see where we are. I took the opportunity to check the time, I had about two hours and forty minutes before I left for my date. Luckily Jack had the voice of reason, since about half an hour later we were in the Tardis—Margaret marveling at the technology of the Time Lords and comparing the Doctor to a God. The Doctor then announced that he would make a very bad god. The Doctor and Jack were connecting the space surfboard to Tardis.

I finally made the decision to head to my room to change. After all I received the invitation where it was written in black and white that I should be well dressed. Well ... not in those terms but it was basically the same.

I told others where I was going even though I had the impression that I had not been heard. I shrugged, too bad for them. When I looked in my dressing room for what I could wear, Sexy helped me by presenting me only one dress. The dress was black and thick enough to keep me warm tonight. Jet black, it was buttoned down with a knot at the collar that was round, and the dress came to my knees. The dress had sleeves that stopped in the middle of my forearms too. I had enough room to put a few bracelets or a watch.

I showered quickly and then put on this dress with a pair of black tights, a pair of black velvet pumps with thick heels and not too high. I could run with this pair without much risk of falling. I sat in front of the mirror in my office, brush in hand. I combed my hair in my usual hairstyle: free except for the front locks which are braided and pulled back before being restrained by a rubber band. I put on my makeup lightly and when I put the flesh-colored lipstick on my desk I had finally finished. I just put a watch around my left wrist, put on a long warm black coat offered by Sexy and put my phone in one of the pockets of this coat and I was finally ready.

My heels tapped on the floor and I hummed an unfamiliar tune. I arrived a few minutes later in the main room. Rose and Mickey were gone. I buttoned my coat before meeting Jack's eyes, he hissed at my outfit.

"Damn it, Alvia. I don't know who you're being so pretty for, but he's definitely a lucky man."

The Doctor leaned back slightly to see what I looked like. I raised an eyebrow at Jack's words.

"One thing you need to know about me is that I make me happy first. If I decide to dress like this, it's only for me and for no one else. I could have been in pants if I wanted to."

"And that's a very good way of thinking," smiled Jack. "Changing to please someone is stupid."

I made a noise of understanding before heading for the exit.

"Good evening everyone, have fun!" I exclaimed, speaking to the Doctor and Jack.

As soon as I walked outside, the men wished me a good evening, although that of the Doctor held a little reluctance and delay—the door was almost closed when I heard his voice.

The cold winter wind bit my cheeks and a big smile settled on my lips as I took advantage of the winter freshness. I loved winter, although there was no snow, I enjoyed this season a lot, much more than the others. I looked at the water fountain and glanced at the slabs on the floor, before having my attention on my cell phone that vibrated suddenly at a message.

On the screen I could read 'go through the main entrance' I put away my phone and I immediately made the way to the main entrance of Torchwood 3. I didn't even have to look for the button to activate the opening of the entrance door since it was already open. As I remembered, I headed to the main hall of Torchwood HQ successfully. As soon as I arrived, the person who invited me gave me a radiant smile.

"Hello Alvia."

"Were you that impatient to see me, Jack?"

He gave me his Colgate smile and opened his arms to invite me into a hug. I took on myself and I settled in his arms. He surprised me by lifting me up and spinning me in the air.

"You do not know how much I miss you, as well as Rose and the Doctor!"

"I have a little idea, but now I have a question: how did you know it was safe to see me?"

"I can't really say, timelines and all…"

"I understand, spoilers isn't it?" I said, winking.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "Now, I didn't invite you to stay in these empty and cold rooms, let's go back to the surface."

No sooner had he said that, were we back up. But we did not go out the same way that I took. We took the elevator which stood in front of the fountain and behind the Tardis. I panicked for a moment that the Doctor could see me with the Future Jack, but this worry disappeared immediately when I looked a little further—Margaret and the Doctor walking towards a specific destination.

"Madame, me permettez-vous de vous inviter au restaurant?" Jack said, with a horrible but gentlemanly French accent, showing me his arm.

I surrounded mine around his while responding.

"Mais faites, mon bon monsieur, faites!" I said, taking a false bourgeois voice.

We laughed like children while our footsteps took us to a restaurant that seemed to breathe luxury and refinement. I was hoping this was not Haute Gastronomy because generally the meal was clearly not proportional to the price. My hope was not in vain because of what I could see by looking at the dishes, which seemed rather rich.

A table master took us to a rather quiet table with a view of the bay. The menus had been given to us and our drinks were already served. And how much I enjoyed the glass of sparkling white wine that came from Italy! While waiting for our dishes, I took the opportunity to observe Jack. He had the same hair as the Torchwood series in season 3 and 4 of Doctor Who. He was wearing a navy-blue shirt with suspenders and on his seat was his famous navy-blue coat, just as on his wrist he was wearing his vortex manipulator. It seemed a little older, if I was not mistaken, but this Jack was over 200 years old.

After a sip of my drink, I put it down to finally start a discussion.

"Thank you, by the way for identity documents. It really helped me."

"It's nothing, you're like my little sister."

"Whom you wanted to sleep with, at first. I don't know how you treat family, but I'm sure they're not for sleeping with."

"Like you said, it was the beginning. And then you never let me have a chance! And you should thank me for Downing Street too, without me you would never have been able to enter."

"Actually, I don't remember much of what happened there, I know that at some point we were locked up with no way to escape—the Doctor's plan, by the way—And I drank alcohol that was in the closet."

"You were drunk on Downing Street in full crisis with Slitheen's family around?!" He said incredulously. "I thought you were the most reasonable of us all."

"It was my first invasion!" I defended myself. "I had just met the Doctor and got shot the same day. Forgive me for wanting to drown my stress in alcohol!"

Our meals finally arrived, and I ate excellent pesto pate with a burrata on top. During the meal, Jack and I discussed the fact that I had to inform the Jack who was in the Tardis for some actions to help me. Help in the creation of my identity papers and his intervention for Downing Street. We agreed on a letter that I would give to Jack, that he would keep on him all the time and that he would only open in certain conditions. One of the conditions being: getting abandoned by the Doctor and being alone in the past on Earth.

We were having dessert and I was about to finish my drink when I stopped my hand. The liquid was shaking in my glass.

"Jack."

He lifted his head from his dessert, spoon in his mouth. I showed him our glasses vibrating this time and a few seconds later, the windows of the restaurant exploded into a thousand pieces. Thanks to Jack's reflexes we were not struck by the splinters, but this was not the case for some people.

"Tardis!" He exclaimed as people scream and the ground shuddered. "You must go! Don't worry, I'll pay the bill!" He said, gesturing to me.

"No way to have a proper goodbye in this world," I half joked. "Thank you, Jack, for this evening! "

I put on my coat and ran as best I could to reach the Tardis. But the ground was cracked, and some pieces were coming up while others were coming down. The city would certainly have some work to do here. And because of this soil, I had to remove my shoes to run better. I held them for a moment in my hands before giving them up. I resumed my run to Tardis, making some detours when the road was impossible to cross. But finally, the box was only a hundred meters away. I looked for my keys before freezing myself realizing that I had forgotten them in my room. I had an idea in mind, and I hope that Sexy would help me otherwise I would look like an idiot.

Just a few meters from the Tardis still running, I raised my left hand before snapping fingers. It was with relief that I saw the two doors open allowing me to slink inside and they closed immediately. I then saw Margaret holding Rose hostage while she ordered Jack for the dimensional pan surfboard. I searched my pockets for anything that could help, at that time I had no idea that the pockets of my black coat were bigger inside. But when my hand stuck a small glass jar like a perfume sample, an idea came to mind. I gently squeezed the vial between my fingers, taking it out quietly before holding it up in Margaret's arm.

"Let her go, Blon ..." I ordered coldly.

She turned around with an evil smile on her lips. I moved, climbing the steps to get to her level.

"Otherwise what? What could you do to me?" She sneered wickedly.

"I press on this spray and you are covered with acetic acid," I bluffed with bravado.

She hissed at me but didn't let Rose go, so maybe I had to do something else. I don't even know what liquid is in this jar, for all I know it could be perfume!

"And you think that quantity is enough to hurt me?" She said haughtily. "There is not even enough to blow my arm. All you do is just save time."

"Yeah! I save time," I confirmed with sudden joy. "But I do it brilliantly, Blon. You know why? Because I know how everything will end. I know it the same way that I knew that to kill one of yours it was enough to throw a good dose of vinegar. Let me just confess one thing: Sip Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day Slitheen died this way."

"You killed him?!" She hissed with hate, throwing Rose away from her.

She seemed ready to kill me, slowly advancing towards me, claw in the air. I stepped back with every step she took, glancing at the console, in almost the same place where it would open.

"Not directly no! But it's thanks to me that Jackie and Mickey are still alive right now," I boasted, doing everything I could to not show the fear that was increasing with every step she took.

"There is a change in my plans, I explode this damn planet and I take you with me," she spat with venom. "I can't wait to make you feel triple the pain I felt when he died and when my family died. Death will only be sweet compared to what I would do to you!"

These were the last words I heard from her. As soon as she stopped, the console opened violently, leaving the heart of the Tardis to radiate her body in light.

"Opening the rift, of course, means to pull this ship." Finally intervened the Doctor. "But it's not just any old power source. It's the Tardis. My Tardis. The best ship in the universe."

"What's that light?" Rose croaked, rubbing her throat a little.

"The heart of the TARDIS. This ship's alive, Blon. You've opened its soul."

Blon seemed to look directly at Tardis' heart. And my gaze was also drawn to the heart, even though I knew it was dangerous. But it was as if an invisible soft hand turned my face for me to look at it. And indirectly I did it, but I did not see the heart; I was too far away to see it, but I could see everything around the heart, something like time itself and something else…. But my sight was hidden when a hand was on my eyes.

"Don't look, Alvia. Your mind could burn or who knows, worse."

The Doctor's voice made me think again. I closed my eyes—my eyelids tickling his palm that disappeared as soon as he felt my eyes finally closed. Only the sounds around me allow me to guess that he closed the console, hiding the sight of the heart of his Tardis. And that invisible contact that I felt on my cheeks disappeared. A pat on my shoulder let me know that I could open my eyes again. I immediately helped the Doctor and Jack in the closing of the fault too.

A quarter of an hour later we had finished, and I wiped a bead of sweat running down my neck. The smoke was rising from the grating and the room was dimly lit. I finally sat on the pilot's seat, massaging my aching feet.

"Well done, thank you all," thanked the Doctor.

"What happened to Margaret?" Asked Rose.

The Doctor looked down at the empty suit.

"Must have been charred," guessed Jack. "She applied her own punishment."

"No, I don't think she's dead."

"Where did she go, then?"

"She looked in the heart of Tardis. And even I don't know how strong that is. The ship is telepathic, as I already told you Rose. Gets inside the mind and translates extraterrestrial languages. Perhaps the raw energy also translates the deepest thoughts and desires," said the Doctor, kneeling to take a closer look at the skin-suit.

He fumbled in the suit and took out an egg—all smooth and made of minerals like the chicken egg but more like an egg made of another organic component and with tentacles on the top.

"Here she is!"

"She's an egg?"

"Returned to childhood."

"She's an egg?"

"She can start all over again, start from scratch. If we take her home, give her to a different family, tell 'em to bring her up properly, she may be better."

"Or may be worse," I intervened by cutting off Jack. "But for the moment she is an egg."

I finished this sentence with an amused chuckle, the effects of the alcohol that I drank just now finally here. Rose suddenly remembered Mickey and went looking for him. I fell on the chair and giggled over the whole situation.

"How was the date?" The Doctor asked, putting Blon on the console near the rotor.

"Ooh, is that jealousy I hear in your voice? But it was a good meal."

"How many drinks did you have?"

"Two? maybe three, I could not finish the last drink you know," I replied.

"Go to sleep Alvia, you're drunk," sighed the Doctor.

I suddenly got up when I heard his northern accent change a word.

"Oh! I like your accent!"

"Thank you?"

"J'adore l'accent écossais aussi, j'arrive jamais à prendre l'accent écossais c'est si dur!"

"What?" Asked Jack.

"She speaks French and she says she likes the Scottish accent and never manages to imitate it."

"Wait a minute, Alvia is French?"

"Yup. And this French is drunk and needs to sleep."

I pouted on hearing the underlying order given by the Doctor.

"You're no fun ..." I paused, getting up from the chair.

"Life is not fair, now go to your room."

"Are you my mummy?" I asked in a good imitation of a child's voice.

Jack snorted to keep from laughing and the Doctor raised an eyebrow in a look that said, 'not impressed'. Nevertheless, I went to my room. As soon as I could put on my pajamas and I was almost ready to go to bed, the Doctor opened the door of my room and put his head in it.

"Oi! Where are your shoes?!"

"I left them outside. I can't say where exactly there are. Now get out and have a good night!"

He grumbled at my rudeness but wished me goodnight before closing the door and leaving. I settled in my bed, sleep not wanting to come.

So, I began to remember the scene where the Tardis had its heart open. The thing I saw and surrounded the heart ... I was sure it looked like the Time Vortex, but there was something more, like eyes. Two big eyes of amber and gold, filled with mischief cunning and slyness that stared at me. There was anger deep in those eyes, covered with expectation and patience.

But patience for what?


	15. Day in TARDIS - After Boom Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> juste a little chaptre, while i'm writing the two next chapter.  
> The end of the season 1 is coming * crying*  
> enjoy this, and don't forget to leave a comment, a kudos or follow my story!  
> bye!

Three thumps against the door of my room woke me up.

"Alvia! Wake up we're going to Raxacoricofallapatorius!"

I moaned a"no" while I pressed my head, which was pounding painfully, in my cushion. I pulled the blanket over my shoulder and rolled it into a warm and comfortable cocoon.

My door opened and light flooded my room.

"Go stand, groundhog! I swear you sleep more than Rose and Jack together!"

"Go lose yourself elsewhere and let me sleep!"

The Doctor chuckled.

"Ah, I see, hangover?"

"Nooooo, sleep. Not enough sleep, I don't wanna goooo ..."

He sighed.

"All right stay in the Tardis. You don't know what you're missing ..."

He closed the door of my room before reopening it and saying:

"And I want the Tardis in the same state as when I left!"

I grunted an unintelligible response and he went off again, turning off the light. I went back to sleep. A few hours later, I finally got up, catching up on the hours of sleep I needed. I yawned as I headed for the kitchen, preparing two slices of buttered bread and a cup of black tea with sugar.

I chewed my sandwiches as I pondered what I was going to do while waiting for the return of the Doctor, Rose and Jack. I suddenly remembered the mental note I had made the day before. I nodded to myself, I was going to gather all the information available about the fox. I was hoping to find as much information as possible thanks to the Tardis. I rubbed my hands to remove most of the crumbs and took my mug towards my room. I dressed comfortably in chill mode. A tracksuit pant with writing "procrastination" on the side of the legs and a graphic black t-shirt with a pizza drawn on it.

I put my mug on my desk and my eye caught something new in the right corner of my room. And indeed, where there was an empty wall before was an enormous corkboard with some bug already installed. I pulled out a white sheet notebook and a four-color style and started to write down all the keywords that came to mind, every time I was compared to a fox, all the mention of the fox I noticed.

As soon as these three things were written I pinned them, then I made a quick return to the library, returning with a stack of books in my arms. I flipped through all the books, looking for a mention of a fox or the characteristics of the fox in all this literature. Charles Dickens, Aesop's fables, Jean de La Fontaine's fables, the little prince of St-Exupery, and many more books. I did a tour in the oriental culture too, looking at Kitsune fox-woman.

The fox is present in western and eastern cultures. But both have a different point of view on the fox. While in Europe people see the fox as a symbol of evil, mischief and cunning, in the West the people see it as a benevolent figure as well as malicious, but they also have this cunning aspect. From scavenger to deity, I do not know what to think.

Several hours passed while I was doing my research but there was a moment when my mind was threatening to explode. I added a last note that mentions or compares to the fox to time and space. I added a drawing of the engraving I had seen on the wing of the bomb that was in the ship Chula Jack and a watercolor illustration of what I saw yesterday when the heart of the Tardis was open.

I finally retreated, observing the work I had done but my questions were still unanswered. I rubbed my tired eyes before hearing a noise outside my room. So, I headed for this source of noise to get into the console room where the trio from before was on the ground breathless and panting, looking unflattering look but a huge smile on their lips and shoulders shaking with laughter.

"I guess your adventure went well on Raxacoricofallapatorius?"

The Doctor raised his hand to say he was going to talk as he tried to catch his breath with a lot of effort.

"Margaret will grow up in a good family and Jack flirted with the royal princess and was sentenced to death." He explained a few minutes later. "The sentence being immediate meant we had to run for our lives"

"You really are a bunch of good-for-nothings , you know?" I sighed with an amused smile, shaking my head.

"And you? What did you do during our absence?"

"I rested, I read, drew …" I listened vaguely without mentioning my research. "I tried to find a way to conquer the world, but I was put off by the paperwork," I finished with humor.

" _Paperwork_ ," mutters the Doctor with horror. "This is the only thing that holds a lot of people. Fortunately for us, you have no claim to dominate the world. You would be strangely effective."

"How should I take it?"

"As you want Alvia, as you want."


	16. Bad Wolf & Parting of the Way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! the last chapter of season 1!  
> The two last episodes of the season 1 ( Bad Wolf & Parting of the Way) are in one chapter.
> 
> I'm so proud and so sad now. 'Cause saying goodbye to the 9th Doctor wasn't easy.   
> he's my favorite doctor with the 10th (at the same level).
> 
> I'm not gonna start the writting af the new season this week-end. maybe i'll do it next week but not in the next two days.  
> I won't hold you back any longer, enjoy this huge chapter! as the usual you can leave me a reviews, kudos or subsribe!   
> SEE YA MY DUDES !

Arms brought me back to consciousness. I tensed immediately, pushing the aid a few seconds later and falling to the ground again.

"Get up, go! Get up!"

I grunted when the arms lifted me up again, but I finally managed to stand. My head was fuzzy, I could not remember my own name, why do I have two in my mind?

"Hey ... How are you? The transmat did not do too much? Can you tell me what is your name?

"Yeah ... One second, I'm ..."

I opened my mouth to say my name before taking a break. No, the name I was going to give wasn't the right one.

"Alvia, yeah it's Alvia, I'm Alvia," I said a moment later, head still a little blurry. "Where am I?"

I observed the person who helped me, he was a tall, gentle man. Blue eyes, hair and beard a light brown color, and prominent cheekbones. An almost perfect lookalike of Tom Hiddleston, but with the voice of Loki. There was that little noble tone that made all the difference.

A man shouted an order, but my head was still too vague for me to understand.

"We're running out of time," Tom's look-alike said. "Listen, I need you to sing. No matter the song. I need a song to be able to dance. You have to do it, do you understand?!"

His hands, pressing urgently at my shoulders, hurt me slightly but made me understand the urgency of the situation.

"I think I can do that but tell me, where am I?"

He was going to answer me but two people with microphones and earphones, including the man who was screaming a few seconds before, took us by the shoulders and led us on a sort of theater scene merged with a TV set. My heart was beating urgently, and I could feel it in my being that something was wrong with this whole situation.

I was walking slowly, and certainly too slowly for those adults in a hurry.

"Team Vulpes, it's yours in 10 seconds! 10 ... 9 ... 8 ..."

And so, began a countdown to zero. I looked nervously at my partner, thinking of any song that I could sing and whose lyrics were complete. In all my repertoire, I could not choose a song and I had to do it.

The lights came on suddenly, illuminating a panel of five metal android. And suddenly the discomfort I felt was totally justified. I was on the satellite Five. I was on this damn satellite with the ghost threat of the dalek above us. I was on the satellite five where Bad Wolf was going to be created and the Doctor regenerates.

"2 ... 1 ... 0! Everyone is silent, turn on the jury!"

"Welcome to Adaptation!"

The jury woke up, their eyes were only red and blue, making their eyes cold and empty. I felt like I had demons in front of me.

"You are the Vulpes team, present your name and your role." Asked one of the androids.

"I am Jölvun, I'll be the dancer."

"I am Alvia and I would sing ..." I answered with a few seconds of hesitation.

"Welcome Jölvun and Alvia, please present us your first song."

First. The Android had said first, I was going to have to sing several times, oh my god ... How was I going to do it?! And if I chose a song that did not exist in this world?! Calm down Alvia, take a classic to start. You will adapt the rest afterwards.

"So?"

"I ... I'll sing 'Moi Lolita' by Alizée."

"A French variety? Commented a male android. I approve in advance."

"Do not excite yourself so quickly Androfour. They might not last as long as you think," teases an android woman.

He sneered badly and a wave of anger and determination settled in my chest. I gloomily stared at the piles of scrap metal, joking at the words as I felt Jölvun's hand take mine. I glanced at him and saw him swallowing hard as he prepared to do the best possible service for us. The first notes of the music rang, and I closed my eyes to concentrate better.

"Moi je m'appelle Lolita…"

And so, I began to sing, articulating the French words, a language I did not speak as fluently as before. And while I was singing the words that at the end of the first chorus flowed without my thinking, I opened my eyes again, admiring Jölvun's dance, my eyes met his and I smiled at him. We both had a confidence that we did not think we could have. And soon that came the end.

Jölvun gasped softly and caught his breath, sweat shining on his forehead. I wiped my tongue over my dry lips, praying to drink and remove this annoying dryness.

"Well done!" Congratulated the jury. "This service was excellent; you pass the first round. Next round after the break."

The jury paused as soon as the lights dimmed a little. A woman came to bring us towels and bottled water. I drank the bottle in one go and returned it to the woman before she passed me a new bottle that I drank this time more quietly.

"You have a beautiful voice," smiled my partner.

"Thank you," I said, blushing at the compliment. Even if I'm not really sure of the veracity of this compliment. It's been so long since I did not sing, I'm too scared to sound wrong and get lost.

"We are going to survive," said Jölvun with a hint of motivation. "We must survive."

I nodded with a motivated smile. I wasn't going to live my last moment here, I wanted to survive this station, to live new adventure in the TARDIS with Rose and the Doctor. I wanted to meet Sarah Jane Smith, Martha, Donna; survive the Master and Doomsday.

The lights became stronger again and the jury resumed their journey. I was ready to sing again, for our survival. And we did it, we survived. I sang "Warrior" by Imagine Dragons, "Glitter & Gold" by Barns Courtney, "Brave New World" by Kalandra and many others. Jölvun and I were sweaty, tired and yet despite every song, every turn we had a confident smile. But it didn't last, as I sang a chorus a door opened violently, making me jump and stop singing. A real disaster.

The Doctor's voice sounded, saying that the Games stopped immediately, I turned my head towards him, wanting to tell him anything that could reassure him. I could see Jack and Lynda on those steps, Jack having a weapon in his arms.

"Oooh, what a big mistake to have stopped in the middle of a chorus. This fault just made you lose, it's so bad you were a few rounds of the reward." The jury said coldly.

Their clogs opened up, letting me see the deadly laser. Unconsciously, I pulled Jölvun's hand to go to the exit and finish with all this and survive.

But nothing generally happens as I expect, and as I ran, I had the strange instincts to push Jölvun, throwing my phone to the Doctor. I barely heard the Doctor's voice as I felt something intensely cold hit my back, I did not even have the opportunity to see the Doctor one last time before everything went white then black.

* * *

 

He could not believe it; she was dead again. Like at Van Statten's. And her last act was to save the man who was with her and to throw her phone now to the ground, screen hidden and certainly broken.

The Doctor walked, empty-minded as he passed his hand through the pile of dust that was a few seconds ago the quick-witted redhead with a silver tongue. He could no longer think, any plan that had existed before had disappeared as Alvia had done. Everything was dust.

The screaming shouts were of little importance to the Doctor; he had become deaf to everything. But Jack's hand made him come back to himself. He had to save Rose too. They couldn't lose anyone else.

The Doctor got up, walking furiously towards the exits without waiting for Lynda, Jack and Jölvun who had decided to follow them. He too was stunned by the death of Alvia. This forced partnership had created a link between him and her, they understood each other on the moment they had shared song and dance.

They finally spotted Rose, who was on the floor of the Low Link. When Lynda realized it, she urged them to hurry, the Anne Droid being the most ruthless robot of the station. So, they hurried, they managed to save Rose from death. They were all arrested, photographed and waiting for the moment in a cage, before being sent to a prison, without possibility of judgment and or a trial.

The Doctor accompanied by Jack managed to make the guards unconscious. They took advantage of this opening to collect weapons and go upstairs to 500. Jölvun kept Alvia's phone in hand. In the elevator he handed the device to the Doctor.

"I may not know her, but I guess if she threw you this device it was for a good reason. "

The Doctor picked up the phone and found that the screen did not have a scratch. He pressed the button to light it. The blue light of the screen penetrated his eyes as well as the image and words that appeared on the lock screen. But these last two cooled even more the Doctor of horror. On the screen was an image with several Daleks and the words were as follows: Daleks satellite control five, death = transmat.

"We must hurry," the Doctor hissed coldly, clutching the phone again. Before Alvia dies for good."

The coldness heard in the Doctor's voice the rest of the people in the elevator. He put the device in one of his pockets to avoid losing it or worse, to break it.

* * *

 

I woke up as a familiar buzz sounded in my ears. The little light that passed through my eyelids bothered me and forced me to open my eyes. The place where I was standing cooled my veins and increased my fear and stress to a much higher level than any danger before. I got up quickly and I ran back near a wall, watching in horror at all the dalek around me. I was on one of the dalek vessels, which contained more than 2,000 daleks. I couldn't even make a comment that could reassure me. Even guessing how the dalek managed to build something with a whisk and a sucker didn't make me smile.

I swallowed hard, praying with all my strength that I would not be killed here and now. Doctor ... Hurry, I do not know how long I could last here ...

"ALE – RT! ALE – RT! WE HAVE BE – EN DETECTED."

"IT IS THE DOCTOR! HE HAS LOCATED US! OPEN THE COM – MUNICATION CHAINS!"

One of them approached me.

"THE HU – MAN WI – LL STAND! STAA – ND! STAA – ND!"

I obeyed as quickly as possible. A few seconds later a holographic window opened in the air and I sighed in relief to see the Doctor, Jack and Rose alive. Lynda was there too, as well as Jölvun. The Doctor looked disgusted at the daleks in front of me, rolling his shoulders as his eyes became darker. It was as if all the fury was wrapping around him. This man wasn't the Doctor; he was the oncoming storm, the predator of the daleks.

"I WILL TALK TO THE DOCT – OR!"

"Oh, will you? That's nice. Hello!" He replied with a mocking gesture and a fake smile.

The latter faded as soon as he had finished speaking.

"THE DA – LEKS STRATAGEME IS ALMOST READY. THE FLEET IS ALMOST READY. YOU WILL NOT INTERVE –NE!"

Le docteur ne le fera pas? Ohohoho… pensaient-ils vraiment que le Docteur allait obéir aux daleks? Surtout quand la race humaine et l'univers était autant en danger?

Oh, vraiment? Et pourquoi cela?

"WE HAVE THE OUTLA – NDER ALSO KNOWN AS YOUR COMPA – NION. YOU WILL OBEY OR SHE WILL BE EXTE – RMINATED!"

The outlander? I guess I am ... How do they know?

"No."

A smile settled on my lips as I saw everyone around the Doctor looking at him as if he had become a kind of madman. But people, have you never known this? The Doctor is a crazy man, the most brilliant crazy man. The ensuing silence was only hilarious, as even the dalek seemed to never have foreseen this answer. Not that they expect much from the Doctor, even after all this time.

"EXPLAIN YOURSE – LF!"

"I said no."

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS NEGATIVE?"

"It means 'no.'"

"BUT SHE WILL BE DESTROY – ED!"

The Doctor stood up, staring intently at me with a slight grin at the corner of his lips. The smile that had grown on my lips was so inappropriate. He continued his diatribe with passion.

" No! 'cos this is what I'm gonna do: I'm going to save her." He said like a true hero, full of fire. "I will save Alvia Saxon from the middle of the daleks fleet. Then, I will save the Earth. And finally, I will eliminate from the sky every last parasite, like the daleks that you are!"

"BUT YOU HAVE NO WEAPONS! NO DEFENSES! NO PLA – N!"

Never. He never has weapons, or defense and even less of a plan. He's only a man with his blue box and his screwdriver.

"Yeah ..." he said with a smile. "And that scares you, huh? Alvia?"

"Doctor?"

"I'm coming to get you."

"Bet you are, Doctor." I told him with a smile still inappropriate to the situation.

The Doctor finally pointed his screwdriver at the screen, and it disappeared a few seconds later, cutting off the communication. The joy that had grown in my chest little by little, disappeared in a gust of wind as soon as the daleks spoke again.

"THE DOCTOR IS INITIATING HOSTILE ACTION!"

"THE STRATAGEM MUST ADVANCE. BEGIN THE INVASION OF EARTH!"

"THE DOCTOR WILL BE EXTERMINATED!"

"EXTERMINATE!" Sang the daleks in chorus.

Like the 2000 daleks in the ships were doing it and it would not surprise me much if the other 199 ships with the rest of the daleks were doing it too. They sang for a few moments before stopping and resume their activities. I settled against a wall because I felt as if I could collapse at any time.

One of the daleks turned around and approached me.

"YOU KNOW THE DOCTOR! YOU UNDERSTAND HIM! YOU WILL PREDICT HIS ACTIONS."

"I'm not going to do it," I said angrily. "I will not predict his actions."

"PREDICT! PREDICT! PREDICT!" It orders hysterically.

"TARDIS DETECTED!" Informed another dalek. "IN FLIGHT. LAUNCH MISSILES! EXTERMINATE!"

"It will do absolutely nothing, these missiles will be useless," I confessed darkly with a concealed joy.

"YOU HAVE NOT PREDICTED WELL," said the dalek in front of me.

But only a few seconds later, the sound so characteristic of TARDIS was heard. A weight that I did not know to have in my belly and on my shoulders retreated. Little by little the structure of the TARDIS materialized around me and the main room appeared before my eyes. As soon as I was able to move safely in the room I did it. I did not need the Doctor's order to lower me as Jack killed the dalek. As soon as this wandering nightmare was shot down, the Doctor walked quickly towards me with his arms slightly open to warn me that he was going to take me in his arms. I sank into the embrace, breathing in the smell of the leather jacket. His head rested against the top of mine a few moments before we recoiled.

"Are you okay?" He asks looking for any injury

"Better since you're here ... I don't recommend this cruise ship. The staff isn't nice, and we sleep on the floor," I tried with humor.

He snorted as a smile reached his lips before he left to look at the corpse of the dalek. Rose ran to hug me, and Jack complained about not hugging.

"I always keep the best for last," I joked, winking at him.

"Welcome home," he said warmly, taking me in his arms. "You were lucky, we only had one shot. We've drained all its power supply, it's just a pile of useless junk now."

I pulled back, pulling out of the hug to put a hand on the console. The comforting buzz of the TARDIS made me smile.

"How can they be here?" Rose asked. "I thought they were extinct."

"One minute, they are the biggest threat in the universe and the next, they disappear from time and space."

"They went off to a bigger war," said the Doctor, examining the corpse. "The Time War..."

"I thought that was just a legend," he said with surprise.

"I was there. The war between the Daleks and the Time Lords. With the whole of creation at stake. My people were destroyed, but they took away the Daleks with them. I almost thought it was worth it. Now it turns out that they died for nothing."

I approached to take the Doctor's hand and look at him with sadness, I could only guess the sorrow of discovering that his greatest enemies had still survived while he had sacrificed his own people for nothing. I could only sympathize and suffer in silence when I thought back to the number of times, he had to face the daleks. The number of appearances on TV had made the dalek the recurring enemy of the series, spoiling the whole story of the enemies. They were the deadliest creatures in the series, capable of killing in one ray like the curse of death. They were the creatures who had fought the most socially and technologically advanced people. They were the creatures who had the plan to destroy reality itself.

"There are thousands now," Rose said. "We could hardly stop a dalek at Van Statten's. What are we going to do?" She asked.

"No good stood round here chin-wagging! You humans could do it a long time. The daleks have the answer I want! Come on, let's meet our neighbors!" He exclaimed happily clapping his hands.

"Wait what? Doctor!" Rose screamed as she saw the Doctor leave outside.

As soon as he was outside, we followed him, and we heard the dalek scream their slogan as they shot at him. Fortunately for us, the shots seemed to be stopped by a force field produced by the TARDIS, thus ensuring the safety of the Doctor but also ours and the TARDIS. When the daleks realized, they stopped their fire and looked at us silently, not seeming to understand the situation. The Doctor laughed at them, raising his hands.

"That's all? Useless! Nul points." He said before coming back to us to lean against the TARDIS and watch us. "It's all right, you can come. That force field can come back anything."

I quickly hit Jack in the back when he was going to speak to say that the force field could almost hold everything back. It was an important rule, never to make his enemies aware of any possible weakness. I finally left the TARDIS because I couldn't see anything from where I was - that is, behind Jack. The Doctor began a dark monologue to scare the daleks.

"d'you know what they call me in the ancient legends of the Dalek homeworld? The Oncoming Strom ... You might've suppressed all your emotions, but I see, and I know that there remains in you a little spark, buried deep in your DNA. And that's fear."

The daleks nervously moved their eyepieces. Of fear? With impatience? I cannot say.

"Doesn't it just burn you when you face me? So, tell me, how did you survive the Time War?"

"THEY SURVIVED THROUGH ME," spoke a dalek with a much more serious voice.

The Doctor turned to the grave source with shock. I swallowed, noticing the familiar blue light of the daleks' eyepiece, but much higher. The Doctor took a few steps forward and the emperor of the Daleks finally appeared in the light, dominating us all. I was speechless at the size of this Dalek. I did not remember he was so tall. I knew it was huge, but it was a huge difference from the series.

"Alvia ... Rose ... Captain ... This is the Emperor of the Daleks."

"YOU DESTROYED US, DOCTOR. THE RACE OF THE DALEKS DIED YOUR HELL, BUT MY SHIP SURVIVED, IT FELL THROUGH TIME, DAMAGED BUT ALIVE."

"I get it," interrupted the Doctor.

"DO NOT INTERRUPT!"

"DO NOT INTERRUPT!"

"DO NOT INTERRUPT!"

I tensed at the order of the daleks, who had the tone of hysteria. It seemed that Rose and Jack were like me. But the Doctor was simply annoyed, strong and unwavering at the intervention of the Daleks.

"I think you're forgetting something. I'm the Doctor. If there is one thing I can do - it's speak. I've got 5 billion languages and you haven't a single way to stopping me. So, if anybody's gonna shut up, it's YOU!"

He spat out the last words with such fervor and fury that the daleks retreated backward. Well, at least they have the intelligence to back down when necessary. The Doctor turned his attention to the emperor again with new joy.

"Okey Doke!" He said. "So, where were we?"

"WE WAITED HERE," rejoined the Emperor, ignoring the Doctor's intervention. "IN THE DARKNESS OF SPACE, DAMAGED BUT REBUILDING. CENTURIES PASSED AND WE QUIETLY INFILTRATED EARTH SYSTEMS, HARVESTING THE WASTE OF HUMANITY. PRISONERS, REFUGEES, DISPOSSESSED ... THEY ALL CAME TO US. THE BODIES WERE FILTERED, PULPED, SIFTED."

A grimace of disgust appeared on my face and a back-taste of bile went up in my throat when I imagined what the victims could have felt.

"THE SEED OF THE HUMAN RACE IS PERVERTED. ONLY ONE CELL IN A BILLION WAS FIT FOR DEVELOPMENT."

"So, you created an army of Daleks out of the dead."

"That makes them partly human," I said darkly.

"About half human?" Guessed Rose with disgust.

"THOSE WORDS ARE BLASPHEMY!" Exclaimed the Emperor with a rising voice.

"DO NOT BLASPHEME! DO NOT BLASPHEME! DO NOT BLASPHEME!" Repeated a dalek with more hysteria than usual.

"EVERYTHING HUMAN HAS BEEN PURGED. I CULTIVATED PURE AND BLESSED DALEKS," jubilant the Emperor with madness.

The Doctor turned when he thought over the words used by the Emperor. For a few minutes, I no longer hid my disgust towards the emperor. The dalek was dangerous and had a despicable way of thinking, adding in addition a concept of blasphemy and therefore religions for them disgusted me more than ever.

"And I, who thought they could not make me sicker than before ..." I said disgustedly. "I was wrong."

"Since, when did the Daleks have a concept of blasphemy?" The Doctor asked, clearly disturbed.

"I REACHED INTO THE MUD AND CREATED LIFE. I AM THE GOD OF ALL DALEKS!"

"ADORE HIM! ADORE HIM! ADORE HIM!" Psalms the same dalek behind us.

"They're insane!" Said the Time Lord with bewilderment. "Hiding in silence for 100 years would make anyone mad. But it's worse than that ..." He declared in a breath, moving slowly and looking at them with pity. "Your own flesh has made you mad. The stench of humanity ..."

He shook his head, spitefully. Was it sad for them?

"You hate your own existence. And it makes them more deadly than ever."

"At this point in their lives, they're more like scavengers than anything else ..." I said, glancing at the dalek behind me.

"You're right Alvia ... That's why we're going!" He said, turning to the emperor.

"YOU MAY NOT LEAVE MY PRESENCE!"

"Because you think we'll stay here wisely?" I ran towards the TARDIS. "You are tying the tentacle in the eye!"

The Doctor's hand rested on my back to move me faster in the TARDIS. He turned to throw a shameless smile and close the door. Outside, the daleks were shouting and shouting their deadly slogan over and over again. The Doctor put his head on the wood of the door, impotent. As confident as he could be, I could see he had no idea what to do next. I went down the stairs, looking worriedly at him. I wasn't going to ask him how he was; I was sure he was going to tell me he was fine but that wasn't fine, at all. So, I did what I did best so far, being there for him without saying anything. Without words and in silence.

My hand slowly approached his leather jacket and finally settled between his shoulder blades, I rubbed his back gently and his shoulders stretched a little before relaxing a few seconds later. He finally turned to face me, his eyes thanking me as he said nothing. I gave him a slight smile and a nod before returning to Rose's side.

"We have to warn the Five Satellite, not just the staff," Jack leaned against the console and with his arms crossed.

"We must prevent the daleks from boarding, preventing the remains of humans on this station can be done following," I corrected. "If only one dalek arrives inside, we are all dead."

"But how to stop them?" Rose asked with concern.

"We must hurry, the fleet will not delay before moving. I do not know how fast their ships are, I would not rather lose the little time we have."

"Let's do that," said the Doctor.

He drove his TARDIS back to the station. As soon as we were on board, we gave the order that the station be evacuated, and that the planet be planned. I cracked my shoulders, this being a reflex due to stress. It was then that I realized that my coat was bothering me more than anything else and that there was a weight missing in the left pocket. The memory of throwing my phone at the Doctor came back to my mind and I made a note to ask him to return it to me when everything is calmer, preferably when the daleks are dead. However, I threw my coat on one of the metal railing that surrounded the raised platform of the console room, took the letter for Jack that was brought to me by Sexy and then tied my hair in a short ponytail before returning outside.

The Doctor and Rose were talking with those who broadcast the satellite before discovering that the fleet was starting. More than two hundred flying saucer-shaped vessels approached, and we had little time. The Doctor rushed to the office to remove the panel that hid the wires and pull the wires in question before leaving them on the floor. He asked us about his plan, knowing that we did not understand what he was doing from the start. I finally understood and it was at the same time as Jack.

"The Delta wave ..." I let out a breath.

"Give a medal to the man and the redhead!" Congratulated the Doctor with cables in hand.

"A Delta wave, are you serious Doctor?" Jack asked incredulously.

"A Delta wave!" He confirmed with enthusiasm.

"What's that?"

"A wave of Van Cassadyne energy!" Explained the captain. "Fries the brain! If you meet a Delta wave, your head gets barbequed!"

"And this place can transmit a massive wave that would wipe out the Daleks!" Finished the Doctor.

"Great, go for it then! Start!" Encouraged Lynda with a Y.

"Trouble is," he resumed. "Even with my intelligence, for such a wave, it should take about – ooh – three days. How long till the Fleet arrive?"

The programmer checked his computer before answering.

"Twenty-two minutes!"

"Then we should get down to it now," I said, rolling up my sleeves and heading for the Doctor. "Tell me what to do, I learn on the job."

He nodded and told me what to do as he sped up the pace to remove the wires. While I was helping the Doctor with all the wiring, Jack took the rest of the group under his wing and explained how to keep the dalek away from here. Rose joined me in stripping the wires when the Doctor called her, and I kept my eyes on my actions as I thought darkly about the near future. We were going to say goodbye to Jack, and the Doctor was about to dismiss Rose. Lynda says goodbye to us, although it was with a great deal of embarrassment to laugh awkwardly and look back at Rose. Finally came Jack's turn, I got up leaving the bare cable on the ground.

"It's been fun," Jack tried to keep the mood light.

We all smile softly.

"But I think this is goodbye," he said finally serious.

"Don't say that," Rose said. "The Doctor's gonna do it, you'll see."

"Rose ..." He said, taking his face in his hands and looking at her intensely. "You are worth fighting for."

He put a brief kiss on his lips before turning to the Doctor. He smiles again.

"I should never have met you, Doctor." Said Jack before taking his face too. "I was better when I was a coward."

He kissed the Doctor the same way he kissed Rose. He turned to me; I took him in a hug.

"I forbid you to press your lips with mine, when I know where they have been before!"

"I would not dare," he chuckled as he pulled away from the hug. "I do not regret our meeting, foxy."

"And before you leave," I added, taking the letter out of my pocket. "Take this letter with you. Open it when everything is finished, and only when you are alone. It's only with these conditions that you have the right to read what I wrote on it."

He took the letter, looking at the navy-blue envelope, before putting it in an inside pocket of his jacket. He finally tells us goodbye.

"We see each other again in hell."

And he ran off. Rose tried to convince herself that he was coming back and questioned me about the contents of the letter. But I didn't answer, and the Doctor did not dare meet her eyes. The silence was heavy and unpleasant.

"Let's go back to work," I said softly.

I sat down on the floor cross-legged and stripped cables on the knees. The Doctor finally returned to building the Delta Wave and told me what to do while Rose was sitting and playing with useless cables, she had long abandoned the project to help us when she understood with difficulty the slightly technical terms that the Doctor used.

"Suppose ..." Rose started.

I froze at Rose's voice. The moment was near ...

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You were assuming something, Rose." I said softly, giving a bolt to the Doctor.

"I was thinking and obviously, you can't, but ... You have a time machine ... Why can't we go back a few days and warn them?"

"Soon as the TARDIS materializes somewhere, we become part of the events," he explained. "We're stuck in the timeline."

"That and the fact that warn them will create a Paradox," I added. "Like saving your father, it's a bad idea."

"Yeah, I thought so," she said curtly.

I looked up at Rose, considering the comment I had just made.

"Sorry ..." I murmured slightly ashamed.

"There's another thing the TARDIS could do… It could take us away from here. We could leave, let history take its course and got to Marbella in 1989."

"Yes, but you would never do that," she said softly, smiling.

"But you could have asked. You too Alvia. It did not even occur to you, did it?"

"I'm too kind! And you, Alvia?"

"Too coward."

"I don't think so, you're the bravest of us all," she refutes shaking her head. "You are a good person."

"I'm trying to be..."

The computer made a noise in the background and the Doctor said with a warning look that the Delta wave was forming but he wondered how long it would take. The Doctor ran to the computer, followed by Rose to read the results. Those weren't good at first, as he lowered his head in discouragement, Rose asking how bad it was. But he stood up suddenly, calling Rose and complimenting her on being a genius for giving him an idea. He kissed his forehead quickly before leading her to the TARDIS by speaking too fast and using technical terms that made no sense. I could hear the Doctor tell her something and my name before seeing the Doctor leave the TARDIS. He looked at me while I was still on the ground.

I reached out so he could help me up.

"You know, don't you?" He asked softly, pulling me up. "You always know that kind of thing. So, tell me, how does it end?"

I remained silent before opening my mouth.

"Everything is fine. The Daleks dies. You are still alive, and we still have adventures with the TARDIS."

"Even after all this time, you're trying to comfort me. You lie Alvia but thank you."

"Am I?" I asked with a broken voice.

He nodded softly before bringing his hand to my cheek, his cool palm gently resting against my jaw and his thumb stroking the skin of my cheeks. A tear rolled on the same cheek and was removed by his fingers. I grabbed his sweater with both my hands as I watched in silence, memorizing the details before we left.

"I would have liked to take you to your proper home," he admitted.

"And I wish I had more time with you ..." I confessed gently referring to this regeneration.

He put his lips on my forehead for a long second before Rose's voice reached us, making us separate. I looked at the door of the TARDIS, looking at her with desolation. I let go of his black sweater silently leading me into the TARDIS. As soon as I closed the door, holding against her, I heard the sonic and the TARDIS dematerialized.

"Doctor what are you doing?" Rose screamed at the doors I was blocking. "Can I take my hands off? Its moving. Alvia, move away please."

But the Doctor couldn't answer her, just as I wasn't going to move away, let alone answer her. Rose crossed the room, trying to move me out of the TARDIS.

"Doctor! Alvia, let me go! Let me out! What are you two doing?!"

Rose finally managed to move me from the door, my back banging the metal rail as she frantically knocked on the doors. I turned my head toward the console as a hologram of the Doctor suddenly appeared, speaking to Rose.

"This is the Emergency Programme One. Rose, now listen, this is important. If this message is activated, then it can only mean one thing: We must be in danger, and I mean fatal. I'm dead or about to die any second with no chance to escape."

"No!"

"And that's okay. Hope it's a good death. But I promised to look after you, and that's what I'm doing. The TARDIS is taking you home."

"I won't let you! Damn it, Alvia, help me!"

I was close to tears.

"And I bet you're fussing and moaning now - typical. But hold on and just listen a bit more. The TARDIS can never return for me. Emergency Programme One means I'm facing an enemy that should never get their hands on this machine. So, this is what you should do: let the TARDIS die. Just let this old box gather dust. No one can open it; no one will even notice it. Let it become a strange little thing standing on a street corner. And over the years, the world will move on and the box will be buried. And if you want to remember me, then you can do one thing. That's all. One thing. Have a good life. Do that for me, Rose. Have a fantastic life."

The hologram flickered before slowly fading away. Rose shouted at me and the TARDIS, ordering her back to the space station. The dematerialization finally stopped, while Rose shuffled orders without having any idea of what she was doing. Rose left the console to run outside. A gentle, cold, bitter breeze stroked my neck as I didn't move from where I was, letting my tears flow gently. I took a deep breath, burying all the sobs in my throat and wiping the tears from my face.

Rose came back inside to plead with the TARDIS to move and I to come help her. But Sexy and I did not do anything; we did not help; we did not move. Rose finally left the TARDIS and Mickey's voice was heard. A few minutes later they went away, without me.

I took a step towards the console not knowing what I was going to do, and the Doctor's voice came back to my ears.

"Alvia? I guess you knew I was going to die, and I had programmed a message for Rose. This is for you. I cannot bring myself to let the TARDIS die alone ... And I know it's too much to ask from you, but could you take care of the TARDIS for me? I've written you some instructions so that you can fly the TARDIS without too much danger. I want you to take the TARDIS on a trip of your lifetime. Save lives and restore the smile to others? 'cos I know everything will go wrong without me. The more the universe is saved the more it needs to be saved, it's a treadmill... Can you do it for me and the TARDIS, Alvia? Live like I did? Laugh hard. Run fast. Be kind. But especially Alvia ... Be fantastic."

The hologram vanished like the previous one. A sob mixed with laughter escaped my lips.

"Oh Doctor, you'll always be able to surprise me ..." I exclaimed in a broken voice. "But we can't, huh Sexy? We have to save the Doctor and the only way to do that is to let Bad Wolf create itself ..."

The TARDIS slowly hummed at my words, as if she agreed, but only reluctantly. At the same time, I would not be happy either if I had to open my heart - and survive - to save someone, even if it was to save the reality itself.

I let go of my hair and shook my head so that it could go back into place and then headed to the kitchen for a cup of tea. As soon as I finished my last sip and went back to the console room, the main door opened violently as Rose entered followed by Mickey. She glared at me as she continued to converse with her boyfriend.

"The TARDIS must just make the return trip."

"But we still don't know how," replied Mickey nodding to me to say hello.

"The Doctor always said that the TARDIS is telepathic. This thing is alive. It can hear us."

"And it's actually a 'she' but hey ... And do not vulgarly treat the TARDIS as a 'thing', it is a beautiful box that lives and thinks like you." I muttered, gently caressing the coral.

"She's not listening, there ..." Mickey added pointing at the rotor.

"We need to get inside," she explained. "Last time I saw you, with the Slitheen, this part was open. There was this light, the Doctor said it was the heart of the TARDIS. If we can open it, I can make contact. I can tell it what to do!"

"Rose ..." he said softly. "If you go back, you're gonna die."

"That's a risk that I've gotta take." She said confidently. "'Cos there is nothing left for me here."

"Nothing?"

"No."

She avoided Mickey's eyes, missing the pain in them.

"Why not let Alvia do it for you?" He asked.

"There's no way I'd let this girl do something when she just refused to help me," she growled.

"And this girl, as you say, is in the same room," I replied curtly, crossing my arms. "And I won't help, I refuse to open the TARDIS to look at her heart, who knows what could happen."

"See?! She will do absolutely nothing to help the Doctor! I wonder what you are useful for!"

"What am I useful for?! Can you hear yourself? I'm not a servant or worse a slave. I don't have to answer for your whims."

"Leave Rose ..." cut off Mickey before Rose replied again. "If you think it's a good idea, then let's open this thing."

"She's not a thing," I hissed.

Mickey and Rose decided on the most effective way to open the console panel and they agreed on the use of a chain and Mickey's car. I sat on the console seat, watching Rose set up the chains on the console and watch him give Mickey orders. The chain was tense and as smoke from the overheating of the wheels on the tar came in from time to time in the TARDIS, the chain finally broke. Rose threw her foot against the console out of frustration. I just watched in silence, Rose had come to become Bad Wolf and who am I against this overpowering entity?

Jackie went a few minutes later into the TARDIS. She stood next to her daughter who stood against the console and stared into space. I got up to the kitchen to let the Tylers chat quietly. My hand was unconsciously looking for my phone that was with the Doctor, the silence in the TARDIS was heavy and all I wanted to do was put a background sound not to go crazy by the absence of noise. I heard Jackie and Rose shouting at each other and I sighed rubbing my face with my hands, minutes later it was the stifled sobs of Rose. I raised my head, staring at the ceiling before hearing a faint "knock" against the table. My gaze rested on the object that had appeared. A sonic screwdriver. A perfect replica of the 9th and 10th screwdrivers, although the bright blue end was actually orange red.

"Why are you giving me that, Sexy?" I asked, frowning.

A sudden spike of pain settled at my temples as an image of the console as well as a bolt that opened appeared in my mind. As soon as these two images stopped appearing in my mind, the pain disappeared immediately.

"Aah ..." I groaned, rubbing my temples. "Okay, I understand, don't do this again please."

I got up, grabbing the screwdriver and headed for the console, exactly in front of the panels that I had to unlock. Indeed, the Doctor seemed in addition to a padlock, having put a lock that broke only through sonic waves. So, I pointed the screwdriver as if it was an extension of my arm, like a magic wand and I pressed the button while I thought of the order of unlocking. A click hit my ears a few seconds later and I left the lock intact, knowing it was going to break in not long. And when we talk about the wolf, the door opened again with Rose holding in her hands a new chain, I hid the screwdriver in the back pocket of my high-waisted pants and I gave way to Rose to install the hook of the chain, which was a little thicker than the one before.

The chain tensed instantly, and a grinding sound was heard a few seconds later. Rose encouraged Mickey until finally the lock slackened and the console opened, leaving his heart visible to all and Artron Energy particles flying in the air. I retreated quickly, because of the abrupt breaking of the lock and the opening of the console. The TARDIS closed its doors and dematerialized as soon as possible. Rose stood in front of the opening, letting herself be illuminated by the golden light, her hair lifted from a breeze and suddenly the light ran into her eyes and a few minutes later her eyes were completely golden, shining and moving like the Time Vortex.

As the TARDIS flew to the Doctor, I could feel the fear running through my veins and my instincts screaming to flee, flee as far as possible from here. Rose / Bad Wolf looked at me suddenly, her gaze, which until then had been calm, became furious with anger. Her chest swelled with anger and a growl flowed from her lips as she stared at me.

"You ..." she growls in her ethereal voice. "Of course, it's you, it's always you ... Always manipulate others to achieve your ends," she spat.

"W-What are you talking about?"

You don't know?" She sneered. "You don't know?! Don't play the innocent, your silver tongue and your lies doesn't work with me anymore!"

"I don't see what you're talking about, who do I even talk to? Rose or Bad Wolf?"

"Don't laugh at me, you know very well who I am. I do not know what little game you play me I declared 'no more'! 'No more' would I have to suffer you! And 'No more' will this world have to suffer you!" She yelled with rage.

Rose / Bad Wolf raised his hand towards me, and I swallowed hard. Golden tendrils floated to me and I could not move, paralyzed by fear. She was only a few inches from me, when the TARDIS moved violently rocking me and Rose throughout the console. My head banged against one of the coral pillars and darkness invaded my vision. Before I fell into unconsciousness I could hear.

"Why do you prevent me from chasing this carrion?!"

* * *

 

The Doctor was shocked to see his TARDIS materialize. He had resolved to die, hoping that Rose would live a normal and happy life and that Alvia would accept the favor he asked him holographically; but he was even more shocked when he discovered that Rose had opened her TARDIS and looked within her to become the Bad Wolf entity. This same entity that killed the dalek in a few seconds and resuscitated Jack by turning it into a fixed point, making the Doctor's temporal senses cringe about the latter. When he removed all the power of the Vortex from Rose's head, he too became an overpowering entity, the only difference being that he was still the same person. And during those few seconds, that he turned to the TARDIS to return the burning power to his true owner, while his eyes shone with gold and that his expression was serious. They met for a fleeting moment amber eyes that stared at him in silence. Eyes that was on another plane of reality but lived undoubtedly at the heart of the TARDIS, in the Time Vortex.

The Doctor exhaled power through his mouth and the memory of amber burning eyes became a mere memory buried in the depths of his mind. When the man did not return to his simple nature of Time Lord he began to smile softly, happy with his nature. He brought Rose inside, gently setting her on the fence. He piloted his TARDIS to park in the vortex before his eye caught Alvia's peculiar red. He walked slowly and knelt as he worried about the brow bone injury and her unconsciousness. He wondered what had happened to make her unconscious. He gently patted her cheek, managed to wake her, should he worry about any commotion?

* * *

 

"C'mon, wake up ... it's all right, gently Alvia ..."

My eyes fixed on those of the Doctor as soon as I regained consciousness. The pain from the right side of my face seemed to fade as I watched him. He was alive and well in front of me. He helped me up and held my arms until my balance stabilized.

"You're here ..." I sighed with joy. "You're really here."

"I am," he confirmed. "And I really should start believing what you're telling me. As always, you were right all the way."

His smile grew at the same pace as mine, but he disappeared as soon as he bowed down in pain. My throat knotted when I noticed golden lines climbing up his veins.

"You're regenerating ..." I murmured with grief.

"I am and I've got to, or the power of the Vortex slowly kills me."

He seemed to mean something else, but a groan from Rose made us understand that she was waking up too.

"What happened?"

"Don't you remember?"

"It's like…" hesitated Rose, sitting down. "There was this singing…"

"That's right! I sang a song and Daleks ran away." Cheerily invented the Doctor.

"I was at home…" tried Rose struggling to remember. "No, I wasn't, I was in the TARDIS, and…"

Rose continued searching for her memories. The Doctor's gaze fell on his hand, whose veins glittered with gold during a short moment. I put mine on his, gently squeezing him to comfort me and him at the same time. Rose shook her head, guessing it was useless to look for the memory, and she looked at the Doctor as we looked at her. The Doctor laughed softly.

"Rose Tyler. Alvia Saxon."

He pulled back a little from the console so he could talk to us better.

"I was going to take you to so many places. Barcelona. Not the city Barcelona, the planet. You would have loved both. A fantastic place, they have dogs without noses."

We all laugh about the dogs in Barcelona.

"Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke, and it's still funny!"

"So, why can't we go?" Rose asked.

"You might go, too. But not like that," he said without elaborating more than he had just said.

"You're not making sense," she said, standing up.

"I might never make sense again. I might have two heads, or no heads! Imagine me with no head and don't say that's an improvement!" Babbled the Doctor before calming down. "But it's a bit dodgy, this process You never know what you're gonna end up with—"

Suddenly, he is propelled back with a golden glow. He bent forward with pain, squeezing his stomach as if something had hit him there. Rose wanted to rush over, but I quickly went to her, preventing her from going any further.

"Doctor!"

"Stay away!"

He grimaced and moaned in pain as Rose eyed her eyes wide.

"Doctor, tell me what's going on."

"I absorbed all the energy of the Time Vortex and nobody is supposed to do that!" He answered quickly. "Every cell in my body is dying."

"Can't you do something?" She asked horrified at the idea of the Doctor dying in front of her.

"He's currently doing it, he was trying to tell you, but his explanation is more than foolish," I said.

"My people have this little trick, its… sort of way of cheating death... except ..."

He pauses while staring at us.

"Except that ... it means I'm going to change. I'm not gonna see you again. Not like this, not with that daft old face."

"I like that face," I said, making the Doctor smile.

"And before I go ..."

"Don't say that!" Rose refuted.

"Rose ... Before I go, I wanted to tell you, you were fantastic. absolutely fantastic. And you Alvia ..."

"I'm glad to meet you, Doctor. You'll always be my first Doctor!" I smiled as tears threatened to flow.

"You're brilliant ..." he finished.

He smiled a few moments before convulsing and the Regeneration Energy exploded through all the pores of his skin. The heat of the flames warmed my cheeks as I shielded myself from the light as I watched the process. I could see that his skin was moving and a few seconds later the flames disappeared, leaving room for the Doctor. For the tenth Doctor. He seemed slightly surprised for a moment before turning his attention to us, his brown eyes sliding towards me before looking at Rose.

"Hello! Okay -oo ..."

He swallowed before running his tongue over his teeth, his brows slightly frowning.

"New teeth. That's weird. So, where was I? Oh, that's right!" He remembered. "Barcelona."

He began to smile. A big happy smile. I was watching this Doctor and all I could think of was  _goodbye nine_.


	17. Christmas Invasion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back with a huge chapter !!! ME!
> 
> in French I have more than 13000 words, which makes this chapter the longest I have ever written. (I wrote more but it was for school and it was less fun)
> 
> Anyway, we started new adventures with the 10th Doctor. I have so many things planned, you're not ready for certain things.
> 
> hush spoilers ;) !!
> 
> enjoy this chapter!

Big smile. A big warm smile. That's how I welcomed this new Doctor. This new Doctor who turned to pilot the console by activating some buttons and levers, also checking the monitor.

"18 hours ... Tuesday ... October ... 5006 ... On the way to Barcelona!" He exclaimed, turning to us. "Now then, what do I look like?" He asked.

I was going to answer him, but as usual in this incarnation, he would not give us the time to answer him. Indeed, he didn't do it.

"No, no, no, no, no, don't tell me anything. Let me guess, two legs, two arms ... " he listed, taking his wrist in his hand. "Slight weakness in the rotation of the wrist ..."

His hands flew to his hair.

"HAIR! I'm not bald!" He said, marveling at his hair and grinning. "Oh – Oh! Big hair! "

He lowered his hands a little, touching his sideburns.

"Sideburns! I have sideburns! Or very bad skin ... " he mumbled before hitting his stomach. "Little bit thinner, it's weird but give me some time, I'll get used to it. "

Then suddenly his face looked like someone who made the most wonderful discovery.

"I ... I have a mole. I can feel it, between my shoulders. I have a mole. But it's all right, love moles! Go on them, tell me! What do you think?" He asked finally, ready for our assessment.

"You look fantastic!" I said with a little laugh wiping the moisture in the corner of my eyes.

He approached a little, smiling big, excited and brown eyes like those of a puppy discovering the world.

"Really?"

"Yeah ..."

"Who are you?" Rose asked suddenly with a small voice.

The smile that had been so big on the Doctor's lips stiffened a little.

"I'm the Doctor," he said puzzled and a little surprised.

"No," she refuted, shaking her head. "Where is he? Where's the Doctor? What have you done to him?" She asked, voice rising.

"But you saw me, I changed! Right in front of you!" He said, gesturing over his shoulder at the place where he regenerated.

"I saw him ... explode and then you replaced him, like... teleportation, or a transfer, a body swap or something. "

The Doctor didn't even try to say anything, he seemed to have lost the words. Rose passed in front of me, pushing him at arm's length. He swayed on his heels, not seeming to believe what she had just said.

"You're not fooling me. I saw a lot of things. Nanogenes ... Gelth ... Slitheen, " she said, glaring at him and lowering her tone on the last word.

I sniffed to restrain the laughter that was coming out of me as the Doctor raised his eyebrows.

"Oh my god, are you a Slitheen?"

"I'm not a Slitheen," the Doctor answered calmly.

I don't know how I managed to keep calm and not sneer at Rose's words. I mean, we faced the Slitheen twice but enough times to know that their human skin suits were those of overweight people. Not a skinny person like the Doctor.

"Bring him back! I warn you, send the Doctor back right now!"

"Rose, it's me!" Said the Doctor. "Honestly, it's me! I was dying. To save my own life, I changed my body, every cell, but ... it's still me. "

"It's impossible, you can't be", rejected Rose. "That's not human. "

"Rose, you forget he's not human," I told her, taking her arms and rubbing my hands to reassure her.

"Then how could I remember this?" He asked, coming closer to her. "The first words I told you, trapped in a cellar, surrounded by shop window dummies. Ooh, such a long time ago," he remembered before taking his hand to imitate the scene. "I took your hand… I said one word, one word, I said… 'run'. "

He looked at her for a moment, waiting for his reaction and then ...

"Doctor ..." she whispered.

The Doctor smiled, reassured that she could believe him.

"Hello!"

Rose sighed exaggeratedly before stepping back, forcing me to let go of her shoulders and slide off to one side. The Doctor took off to get to the other side of the console.

"And we never stopped, did we? Through the universe!" He exclaimed with joy and excitement as he activated some switches on the console. "Running, running, running! One time we had to hop! Do you remember?" He asked, starting to hop on the spot as I let out an amused snort. "Hopping to save our life? Huh? All these jumps. All these jumps to save your life. Yeah? Hop?"

His enthusiasm subsided when he noticed Rose's lack of reaction.

"… No?"

"Can you change back?"

The question seemed like a slap for the Doctor.

"Do you want me to?"

"Yeah."

"Oh…"

"Can you?"

"No," he said with disappointment as he glanced down at the floor. "Do you want to leave?"

"You want me to leave?!" She asked with shock and a bit of annoyance.

"No!" He exclaimed quickly. "But... your choice, if you want to go home ..." he tried to justify his words. "We cancel Barcelona?"

"I don't know about you, but I'd like to see Jackie," I finally said. "At least to reassure her, because at the moment she's definitely thinking that we're dying or worse dead."

Rose's look of annoyance faded as she thought of her mother. Honestly, didn't she think about it? This coming from the girl who told her boyfriend that nothing was holding her back on Earth ...

"Is it a clue?" He asked with a slight smile on his lips and soft eyes.

"Mm ... maybe, spoilers," I giggled. "Don't you mind, Rose?"

"No, it's fine... a little walk home is fine by me," she said softly.

The Doctor returned to the console, typing the new coordinates to return to London.

"We're changing to London, the Powell Estate. Oh ... let's say December 24th, consider it a Christmas present."

We got closer to the console as he finished his order. A bell rang and he stepped back, crossing his arms and wedging his hands between his armpits in a defensive position. The Tardis began to shudder and squeak. Shaking abnormally, I looked up with a frown while listening to her creaking, it wasn't like the usual ones, and while Rose and the Doctor were discussing what Jackie could cook for Christmas I listened to the Tardis. There was a sharp and constant whistle that had never been there before. The Doctor began to moan suddenly and at the same time the Tardis was shivering violently.

"I say that I-"

The same thing happened again but at a higher level. The Doctor made a noise as if he were going to puke and then I remembered.

"Fuck! The regeneration is going wrong, you need to rest!" I advised quickly.

Despite my support, he collapsed again this time clenching and convulsing in pain. Rose offered to go get Jack, thinking that he could help, and the Doctor lied brazenly telling them that he was busy rebuilding the Earth. His attention was focused on a button that was behind me.

"Oh, I haven't used this one for years! "

"Doctor, no!" I screamed as he activated the thing behind me.

The TARDIS shook as he pushed me away to drive his Tardis and gain speed, he complimented her as he urged her to hurry.

"Doctor, stop!" I shouted with Rose. "Quickly remember flying, Alvia ..." I whispered, leaning over the console to pilot and stop this madness.

"Let's go through this vortex!" He exclaimed with a hint of madness in his voice before calming a few moments later. "Something's going wrong, I cannot help it. "

He grimaced in pain, moaning about his head. I tried to remove the console, but it was heavier than me and I couldn't move even with the instability of the console.

"FASTER! Let's open these engines!"

"Doctor! Your Barty Crouch is showing off! God, that you are unmanageable, MOVE! Rose don't stay here doing nothing, help me!"

Rose really seemed to want to help me but as soon as she released the console she fell to the ground as she lost the balance she had had. The bell of the cloister began to resonate as well as all other existing alarms. Fortunately for us, only the purple alert didn't trigger.

"What is happening?!" Rose said, looking around frantically.

The Doctor appeared near her to answer, delighted.

"We are going to crash!" He said.

His laugh was totally manic, a real fusion between him, Barty Crouch Jr and unconscious imitation of the Master.

"Do something!" Rose implored with fear.

"What do you think I'm doing?!" I barked. "Knitting?!"

"Too late!" The Doctor sang, turning around the console, laughing. "Out of control!"

"You're going to kill us!"

"And if we die, I'll kill him!" I spat back from the console, unable to do anything. "Rose hang on to something!"

"Here we go! It's Christmas Eve!"

I don't remember what happened next, the Tardis moved so much that I fainted again by banging my head against the console. But I still felt the moment when we hit several times something solid. I think they were buildings and the ground. As soon as the Tardis stopped moving and I waited five seconds to be sure, just not to bump into something else. The hurried sound of the Doctor's heavy boots against the grating told me he was coming out. With a grunt I turned to face the ground and I got up, putting my hand against my aching face only to remove it immediately with a hiss of pain. My fingers touched a wound and my fingers were covered with a few drops of blood.

I went out before Rose, seeing the Doctor faint in Mickey's arms. I rushed to feel the Doctor's neck and take his pulse and sigh with relief when I felt the double pulse.

"What is happening? Who's this man? Where's the Doctor?" Mickey asked as Rose walked out of the TARDIS.

"It's him, it's the Doctor," answered the young blonde.

"What do you mean by 'it's the Doctor'? Doctor Who?"

_Ah!_  I thought with humor as I let out a small, amused snort. Of all the people the Doctor meets, it is Jackie who knew the right question. And the Doctor wasn't even conscious.

"It's the Doctor, the alien with big ears and a northern accent, the same man you slapped Jackie. But he just has another appearance."

"What you say doesn't make sense!" She scolded.

"What I say is perfectly right," I snapped. "Help me bring the Doctor back inside. If the neighborhood becomes curious that's the last thing I want while he's in a precarious state. Mickey, Rose help me lift him. Jackie could you open the doors?"

Rose grumbled about being polite to her mother but not to them. With the help of the blonde we lifted the Doctor's legs while Mickey was busy with the top of his body. And god, he's a heavy guy! How can he be so heavy when he is so thin? My theory is that it's his leather jacket, his pockets are bigger inside and who knows what is hidden inside. It took us twenty minutes and three breaks to finally get to Jackie's apartment. We dropped the Doctor on a bed. For a moment of silence - not to mention our gasping breathing due to the previous effort - we observed the Unconscious Doctor.

"We can't let him rest in those clothes," Jackie said. "Someone has to change him."

"I won't touch the Doctor," Mickey objected quickly. "What if he's absolutely not human under clothing? it's too much for me."

"I have to rest, a lot has happened," muttered Rose. "And I'm still not convinced that this man is really the Doctor..." she added softly.

I glanced at Jackie, telling her that I was going to do it. Rose and Mickey left a few minutes later while Jackie went to get me a pair of pajamas. I closed the door to keep the Doctor's privacy. I swung my eyes between the pajamas and the Doctor several times before pulling up my sleeves and starting to take off his clothes.

I struggled with the leather jacket and sweater, because the Doctor wasn't cooperative at all, and the top was much more complicated. Remove the shoes and socks were very simple and finally came the pants. I didn't move for a few minutes. I swallowed trying to put aside my genes and all that was negative in me.

I unbuckled the belt, mumbling prayers to whoever wanted to hear, and apologizing to myself and the Doctor.

"Sorry that you're recovering Doctor ... the things I have to do to take care of you, you'll be my death and… – oh my God!"

I restrained my laughing with great difficulty. My shoulders shook as I bit my lips to the point of blood. The reason? The underwear of the Doctor, they were banana pattern.

"Obsession for bananas, confirmed."

I switched the pants with the pajamas and then covered the Doctor with the blanket and placed the pillows for his head. Jackie knocked on the door, bringing a stethoscope with her. I thanked him, not thrilled to take a look at Rose who arrived a few seconds after her mother. Put the stethoscope in my ears and I was going to put the tip against the chest, but Jackie spoke.

"We should bring him to the hospital."

"And run the risk of being dissected? I don't think so. If only one cell of the Doctor enters bad hands, then chaos would reign supreme in this universe. No, you have to play the safe card, he stays here. Now hush, I'm trying to hear his hearts."

Jackie mumbled that I was as rude as he was and finally shut up. I finally placed the stethoscope against the chest, listening to the left heartbeat slowly before moving my hand and listen to the right heartbeat at the same rate as the first.

"Both are walking, although they are both slow. I don't know if it's due to rest or if it's his regenerative disease."

"What do you mean by two?"

"The Doctor has two hearts."

"Oh, don't be stupid!" She said scornfully.

I raised my eyebrows at Jackie's tone, I looked at her with an air that said, 'do I seem to be saying anything stupid?'

"You mentioned his regenerative disease, and you seemed to know he could do it," Rose finally said, biting the nail with her thumb. "What do you know exactly?"

"I know that regeneration as we have seen is a faculty only to the Lords of Time. It is a way of living longer by changing all the cells of their bodies, and changing their appearance and personality, although the substance of the person remains unchanged; it is a painful and dangerous process. Regeneration is random, no one knows in advance what they will look like next. Sometimes there are side effects: confusion, unconsciousness, erratic behavior or even loss of memory."

"And we have unconsciousness right now," Jackie commented.

"Just before, he drove the Tardis to crash," Rose added.

"Erratic behavior," I confirmed. "Let's be happy that this is just that. I know he had at one time a bipolar behavior and tried to strangle one of his old companions before stabilizing himself."

Jackie and Rose seemed horrified when I mentioned the strangling attempt. I replaced the cover correctly above the Doctor so that the heat of his body doesn't disappear.

"How do you know that?" Rose asked. "Don't think I didn't notice; how do you know about the Time Lords? "

"Do you remember that I come from another world?"

"Yeah and? I don't see the link."

"Let's say, there were Timer Lords in my world. But not in the same way as here."

"Well ... add more mystery about you." She mumbled as she left the room followed by her mother.

I sighed at Rose's character before going to sit next to the Doctor. I sweep a few strands off his forehead. He inhaled suddenly before exhaling a golden cloud that escaped into the sky and into space. I started watching this new Doctor, even though I had seen it before.

His skin was a bit paler than I remembered and was probably due to the fact that he wasn't healthy, and his freckles were almost invisible. He had no wrinkles yet and his jaw and cheeks were covered with a very slight stubble. His hair was the true fantasy of all the fans of the 10th Doctor and David Tennant and was a bit longer than the Doctor I had met before, especially at the back and on the sides.

I stayed by his side, running my fingers through his hair - which was truly fantastic - scraping his scalp from time to time. The sound of the slamming doorway made me look up. Jackie entered the room with a tray that contained a steaming cup of tea, cotton and disinfectant. She pulled a chair to sit next to me.

"Here you are, sweetheart. A nice and hot cup of tea and stuff to clean your wound."

A sweet smile grew on my lips as I thanked her. There was a moment when I winced from time to time because of the product that was coated on a piece of cotton that was tapped on the top of my face by Jackie.

"Keep quiet, god, you act like a child."

"Not my fault if the product stings," I sulked with little maturity and swelling cheeks.

She gave me an unimpressed look before looking at the unconscious Doctor and asking me, "Will he get better?"

"Yes," I confessed. "He'll be better ... but for the moment, he's sick and needs rest. You don't heal with a snap of your fingers," I continued, snapping my fingers to accentuate my last words.

"You should rest too, Alvia ..." she said softly, putting a hand on my shoulder. "You do a lot; you deserve a break."

I watched the Doctor in silence before answering.

"I guess some free time won't hurt," I conceded. "I have to go looking for something in the Tardis. Can you ask Rose to keep an eye on the Doctor?"

"She left with Mickey at Christmas market."

"Great ..." I muttered. "I'm going for a quick tour in the Tardis and will come back soon."

I got up, finishing my cup of tea and leaving the Doctor's hair. As soon as I was outside, I regretted not having taken my coat when I left the Tardis. I crossed my arms rubbing energetically as I headed quickly inside the TARDIS. The lights that had previously been bright were now dimmed and I couldn't hear its constant humming. She was silent and it bothered me.

I put a hand on the console, reassuring Sexy that the Doctor was doing better. I then went to my room to take a bag that contained my computer. I had to watch season 2, it had been so long since I hadn't seen it. I knew the big lines and some stuff, but the smallest details were long ago forgotten. I also didn't forget to take my headphones. I was already taking risks by bringing out my computer, I wasn't going to take more by letting the episode be heard by anyone. I took advantage of this time in my room to change. I exchanged the blue graphic t-shirt and jeans that I wore for a faded black slim pants with buttons and a thick black turtleneck that kept me hot. I left the Tardis, put on a coat and satchel over my right shoulder and I went back to the apartment.

Back in the room, I sat comfortably in the chair, legs crossed, and computer open on my knees. I turned on the device while connecting my headset to Bluetooth. I watched quietly and without any disturbance the episode of Christmas and the first four episodes of the second season. While the end credits resonated in my ears, I closed the tabs open and glanced at the time. I didn't have the time or the desire to start the double episode with the Cybermen.

After turning off my computer and storing it in my bag, I poured myself a cup of tea. The urge to give it for the Doctor to drink was really tempting, but I knew no way and no technique to make someone drink while unconscious, let alone not suffocate. I nevertheless soaked a piece of cloth with the tea that I tapped on the Doctor's lips, a few seconds later after removing the tissue from his lips, his tongue flicked out and licked the liquid before disappearing. I did the same thing again and the Doctor licked his lips again. Little by little his cheeks took on a healthier color. My cup of tea was now empty, and the pieces of cloth soaked, I was going to get up to take the two objects to the kitchen, but when I got up the Doctor made a small noise.

"Ngk…"

I turned my head towards the source of the noise. I gently caressed his cheek to comfort him before trying to get up again.

"Ngh…"

"I have to go and drop those things, Doctor. I'll be right back." I whispered softly, wondering if he had really regained consciousness or not.

Surprisingly, his hand grabbed my free hand that lay on the bed. I sighed with amusement before putting the cup and the tissues back on the little bedside table and crossing my fingers with his. I put my other hand on the same hand I held and gently rubbed my thumb on the top of his hand.

"You're infuriating sometimes, do you know?" I murmured far too softly to be heard.

And so, I stayed by his side until night fell. There was a moment when I fell asleep too, but I woke up with a soft blanket that covered my back and shoulders that had been installed like a cushion. I still held the Doctor's hand. What had woken me was simply Rose and Mickey who had stormed into the apartment. Rose telling her mother to leave the phone. I wanted to join the rest in the living room, but the Doctor held my hand firmly, I couldn't move.

"Rose! Mickey! Jackie! Come here!" I shouted.

But they shouldn't move until the Christmas tree started moving and rehearsing a Christmas song. Rose finally arrived to move the Doctor. I told them to come here for a little more protection while trying to get rid of the Doctor's grip. Damn it, he had an iron grip when he wanted to!

Mickey arrived quickly and with Jackie's help they moved a wooden cabinet, using it as a blockage until this wooden cabinet was also destroyed. Meanwhile Rose was looking for the Doctor's screwdriver before I remembered that I had the one that the Tardis had given me and that I had put in my computer bag when I changed. Grabbing the bag with one hand and with my other arm extended, I quickly grabbed the scientific apparatus and I put myself in my place before pointing to the tree. I thought of what I wanted to do while I pressed the button.

The red-orange light appeared just as the familiar sound of the sonic sounded and buzzed my eardrums. The tree stopped immediately as if we had paused in a video. I guessed that I could not release the pressure of my thumb on the button because otherwise the tree would come to life and we would be shredded. The pressure climbed to my mind and I let out a sigh of pain while my temple beat furiously with a dull pain and aches. I began to feel resistance in such a strange way that I almost released the pressure on my screwdriver and gave up my hard focus. But a chest pressed against my back and a hand around mine to add pressure to the button. The tree exploded and ended the inner storm and the music. His hands finally let go and I turned to look at him, surprised and worried. He woke up way too soon.

"Remote control. But who's in control," he said for the first time since he suddenly woke up.

He grabbed the screwdriver from my hand, raising his eyebrows, noticing it wasn't his. He got up, taking a warm blue king's robe before heading out. And observe something below. I leaned against the stone guardrail critically watching the robots disguised as Santa Claus. I caught the corner of my eye, the Doctor's hand stretched in the air and pointing the screwdriver to the robots as if he held a magic wand.

Mickey mocked the robots who ran away when they saw the sonic device before the Doctor simply said.

"Pilot fish. They were only pilot fish."

His sudden good health deteriorated immediately. His throat convulsed as he began to cough, and he threw himself back against the wall as he clearly suffered. We all rushed to hold him back.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked frantically.

"I was awake too soon," the Doctor gasped. "I regenerate again and I'm overflowing with energy."

He spat a flush of energy that disappeared into the air. My nose stung with the smell of heat, iron and something else that came from this Energy.

"You see? The pilot fish could smell them from the other end of the galaxy. They eliminate the defense - it's you - and they take me away. It could use me as a battery for hundreds of years," he continued frantically panting with each sentence.

He moaned again, changing his place because of the pain. As he groaned in pain, complaining about his head. I raised my hand to feel the temperature, putting my hand on his cheek I pulled it away immediately, feeling the heat from his skin. He was hotter than he should be.

"I have a neuronal implosion. I need - "

"What do you need?" Jackie intervened with hysteria.

"I need - "

"Say it, tell me, tell me -"

"I need - "

"Anti-pain?"

"I need -"

"Aspirins?"

"Do you want to kill him?!" I exclaimed suddenly.

"I - "

"Codeine? Paracetamol? Oh, I don't know - Pepto-Bismol?"

"I need - "

"Liquid paraffin?" Listed Jackie, ignoring the need of the Doctor to speak. "Vitamin C? Vitamin D? Vitamin E? Food? Something simple? A bowl of soup? A good bowl of soup? A bowl of soup and a sandwich? Soup and a ham sandwich?"

"I need you to shut up!" Managed the Doctor.

Jackie commented on his rudeness and he threw himself down again because of the pain and leaned back against the wall of the building. I grabbed the Doctor's face for him to look at me.

"Doctor, focus! I know what you have, I know what you need, I know what will happen. Now relax!" I ordered slowly but firmly. "The sooner you rest, the sooner you will be back."

He breathed loudly in pain as I ignore the warmth of his skin. He looked down and I smiled to tell him he could trust me.

"Don't worry, Doctor ... I'm in charge, I promise."

It was all he needed because he immediately fell back into unconsciousness. His body fell forward and it took all my reflexes not to fall with him. His face that I had dropped was against my collarbone and I unconsciously stroked his hair to comfort him, or maybe comfort me. I did after all promised to the Doctor that I was in charge. The weight on my shoulders seemed heavy on that winter night.

"Help me bring him back to bed," I asked, shaking with cold.

I picked up the screwdriver and with the help of Rose and Mickey we managed to carry the Doctor and put him back under the covers. But this time, his condition was worse than earlier. While Rose checked his hearts with the stethoscope, I tried to cover his body with the most cover before dabbing a cloth on the warm and wet forehead of the Doctor. The Doctor trembled with cold and moaned in his sleep. Rose let out a trembling sigh before leaving the room in silence. I stroked his cheek one last time before leaving the room to join the rest of the family.

On TV there was a press conference about the Mars mission with the Guinevere One spacecraft. Rose reported that the Doctor's condition was worse than before and that only a heart was beating now. Mickey, who was on his computer, explained to both blondes what a pilot fish was.

"… Something's coming," Rose guessed as she chatted with Mickey.

I hadn't paid attention to what they were talking about. I was focusing my attention on the broadcast conference. The screen suddenly scrambled, before gradually becoming sharper. We had in front of us live the first meeting of humans with Sycorax. When the picture became clear - finally as much as possible at that time - the screen revealed the masked face of Sycorax.

_"... live from the depths of space, on the morning of Christmas_ ," said the reporter on television.

The alien roared violently on TV, causing the burst of the English trio. I bit my thumb, arms crossed while the TV broadcast Breaking News on the discovery live Sycorax. The world seemed to panic suddenly while being excited by this opportunity. I retreated to sit comfortably on the sofa, watching TV and reports. My mind was running at full speed, thinking about what I could do and not do. I nervously tapped my fingers at the rate of four while I didn't have my phone on hand. Where was he from? Without him I could not try to contact Jack or even UNIT to discuss. The screen suddenly broadcasted a group of four Sycorax in the same position as the Queen group in 'Bohemian Rapsody'. Rose remarked that she didn't understand what they were saying.

"They are the Sycorax," I said suddenly looking at Rose. "They are threatening us and describing us as slaves. Mickey could you find me the UNIT number please. I have a call to make. "

Mickey nodded and quickly found him. I borrow the landline, typing the number and when I pressed zero to speak to a real person. I put the phone to my ear when I heard a man's voice.

"UNIT helpline, which department would you like to access?"

"I am one of the Doctor's current companions. I'd like to talk to Harriet Jones; I know she's in your office. Quickly please."

"One moment please," said the man quickly.

I waited less than a minute before hearing Harriet Jones' voice.

"Hello?"

"Harriet Jones? It's Alvia, remember? The redhead at Downing Street?"

"Yes Alvia! Where is the Doctor? Can he help us?"

"At this very moment he is not in a position to do anything. It's a long story. But he put me in charge for the moment and I had to call you. These aliens, who are broadcast on TV through the satellite, they are not friendly, they came to invade us and turn us into slaves. They have a control weapon, blood control - a specific type of blood - but this control is weak against the instinct of human survival. The control will be activated tomorrow morning, but it is not necessary to have everything will be fine. "

"It's horrible," huffed Harriet Jones in horror. "They must do something!"

"I know, but I have to warn you of some other things! They will arrive tomorrow, the aliens, the Sycorax. Their ships arrived tomorrow, and you will be teleporting tomorrow with other people. When you are on this ship, don't let others speak for you, only the highest authority can speak, and the present case is you. Another thing," I said quickly before Harriet could speak. "Even if you seem desperate, even if you think nothing can be worse than today, keep hope. The Doctor will arrive. He will fix the situation. But we will have to wait ... and we will have to keep hope. I promise, everything will be fine, and everything will return to normal. Can you do this for me Harriet? Wait and keep hope?"

She had a moment's silence before she spoke to me. During this silence I moved, and I went to the kitchen to drink.

"I'll try, if what you say is true, then I'm ready to do it. I am ready to wait and keep hope."

"One last little thing! Please, I ask with the greatest sincerity, don't appeal to Torchwood. Just ... don't do it."

"How are you aware of the Torchwood Institute?"

"In the same way that I am aware of the events of today and tomorrow. And if you have contact with them again, don't mention me. I like to stay in the shadows ... "

"I see ... thanks for your help, Alvia," Harriet Jones said. "Goodbye."

"See you soon," I said, ending the call.

I drank my glass of water before putting it on the counter before returning to the living room to put the phone next to Mickey's computer. The English trio was watching me waiting for a new indication from me.

"Let's go rest and restore our strengths, everything will happen tomorrow in the morning. We must be ready."

"How can you be so sure that the Doctor will help us?" Rose spoke with a sigh in her voice. "This man in bed doesn't help us! The former Doctor, my Doctor, he would not leave us that way he would have found a way to help us. He abandoned us!"

"Juste ce dont j'ai besoin..." I mumbled in my native language. "Listen Rose," I said in English. "Yes, we are going to need him. For the moment, this man in bed, our Doctor, he needs us. He needs us more than ever and I will not abandon him to his fate."

Rose snorted and wiped her tears before nodding. I went back to the bedside of the Doctor. I wiped his forehead and tried to give him the tea I put on his lips, but this time he was too ill to drink the liquid. I sighed as I sat on the floor, back against the wall, thinking of a way to make him drink tea but no idea came. I suddenly yawned, fatigue being felt, and Jackie told me to go to sleep. I did what she said to me and I woke up the next morning because of the sunlight.

On TV, there was a Downing Street live with Harriet Jones talking to the English people to reassure them. Her speech was different but was made to reassure her people. I sipped a cup of tea and nibbled a buttered toast when the windows suddenly exploded, and the walls shook. I ran outside, leaning on the stone ledge to watch the giant ships approach and darken the gray sky. As I kept my head bent to the sky, Rose and Mickey walked out of the apartment with the Doctor in his arms, to lead him to the Tardis.

"Mom will come with the food," she told me, seeing my eyebrows lifted. "We have to hide in the TARDIS, it's the only safe place on Earth. "

"Rose - "

"Listen to me! I don't care if the Doctor trusts you to be in charge! I'm tired of your haughty and arrogant attitude when you tell us stuff that only you seem to know! For what I know you could invent everything and lie to us!" She spat with malice.

I didn't even try to justify myself as she was leaving for the TARDIS. Was it really? Haughty and arrogant? I saw Jackie bring two big bags towards the kitchen and I approached to talk to her softly.

"We will not need your food."

"That is true? All the better," she said with relief. "And I'm sorry for what Rose told you. You are not what she described to you. She's just …"

"Angry, frustrated and sad," I said. Not really the right combination, right?

"Certainly," she chuckled. "And even less with his change. I know how she may be, I raised her."

I raised my hands, preferring to say nothing in case.

"You should join them," she said to me.

"I'm going, but can I have a thermos with tea please?"

"I'm doing that right now, sweetheart."

I thanked her before putting on my coat and shoes. When I finished lacing my shoes Jackie handed me a gray thermos with the tea inside. I thanked her before quickly joining the Tardis. I went inside with a greeting.

"I brought some tea!"

"Tea! Solution for everything!" Mumbled Rose.

"It could be the end of the world and you; British people would not miss teatime for anything," I joked ignoring Rose's mood.

"What would the French do if it were the end of the world?" Asked Mickey with a smile, happy to be distracted for the moment

"Uh, I don't know!" I thought. "We like to moan in France. We would be able to strike to show our discontent on the end of the world," I chuckled, mocking my own country.

I put the thermos close to the Doctor and opened it, noticing how hot it was. Leaving it in the open air would cool it a little - and tip over when it should.

The console started to beep, and Mickey asked how it worked. Rose answered that she didn't know while pressing buttons. I rolled her eyes as she watched the buttons she didn't know how to use. If we don't know, we don't touch, it's not complicated! The Doctor had warned us one day not to press the buttons without the indication of the Doctor. But hey, this coming from the girl who opened the Tardis to watch her heart. I guess there wasn't much to do ...

Rose and Mickey talked before she was worried that Jackie wasn't coming. Everything happened as in the episode and unlike Rose and Mickey - who go out without knowing what was waiting outside - I knew. That's why I looked annoyed when two Sycorax grabbed my arms and dragged me to the remains of the other humans on the ships. What I was hoping for is that the thermos was to overthrow for the Doctor to heal with the steam of tea. As soon as I was next to Harriet Jones, I had a little smirk when I saw those who should have died alive.

"Alvia, how good it is to see you at last," she greeted, taking me in her arms. "I asked Rose, the Doctor isn't here?"

"He's not ready yet, but he'll be here soon," I reassured her, taking her hands.

"The yellow girl. She has the smart blue box. Therefore, she speaks for the planet, translates the man with the machine in the hand."

"She can't," said the prime minister.

"I can," she said, not leaving Chief Sycorax with her eyes.

"But he will kill you!"

"Never stopped the Doctor, before."

But the Doctor has over 900 years of experience unlike Rose. And as I knew it, she mentioned a whole list of aliens and ridiculed near the Sycorax who burst out laughing. I sighed with annoyance.

"You are very, very funny. Is it all that the planet can produce as a champion? Don't make fun of the chef. Then the planet will be emptied, and the people enslaved - "

"I'm looking for an audience with the leader Sycorax under peaceful contract and according to convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation!" I barked suddenly.

Chief Sycorax was suddenly silent before turning to me, his red eyes narrowing a little.

"Speak, girl with the hair of fire," he ordered.

"You are threatening this world to be emptied and the humans of enslaved. Maybe I should enlighten you that this planet is considered a level 5 planet. So, Article 57 of Shadow Proclamation applies on this planet and therefore it cannot be damaged and even less enslaved!" I exclaimed with my head held high.

"We are the Sycorax, we ride the darkness," laughed the chief.

"I know. That's why I'm going to tell you something ... This planet has been tempted to be invaded a multitude of times in the past, by species as different as each other. Some with phenomenal punch, others with the most perfect shots. But this planet today is not invaded, humans live freely. And do you know why? Because every invasion attempt has been countered. And by one man only. So, I warn you ... get out of this planet or else ..." I threatened darkly.

"You dare to threaten Sycorax!" The Sycorax hissed without a mask. "No primitive human can beat us!"

"Hey... it's speaking English," Rose pointed out. "He speaks English," she said, turning around for confirmation.

"I would never dirty my tongue with your primitive bile!" Spat the chef.

"But we can hear English?"

All agreed, including me. An amused smile was settling on my lips as I thought about the Doctor waiting to make his entrance.

"Yes, it's English."

"Definitely English."

"I'm only talking SYCORAXIC!" Shouted the alien angrily.

"If I hear English ... then it's being translated, which means it works, which means ..." Rose mumbled to herself before turning to the Tardis.

All did the same, seeing her watch the doors of the Tardis. They both opened and the Doctor was there, in his pajamas and dressing gown, smiling and healthier than before.

"Did you miss me?"

The Sycorax leader roared with anger and threw the whip - which I narrowly avoided - to the Doctor who simply grabbed it and pulled it from the enemy's hand.

"Be careful, you could have someone's eye with that!"

I think that was the goal ...

"Now, wait a bit. I'm busy!"

Chief Sycorax watched in disbelief as the man gave him a warning sign before turning to Mickey.

"Mickey! Hello!" He said before turning to Harriet Jones. "And Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North! Blimey, it's like 'This Is Your Life'!" He turned to me and Rose, beaming. "Tea! That's all I needed! A good cup of tea! Superheated infusion of free radicals and tannins. Just what it takes to heal synapses ... "

The Doctor instantly changed mood, becoming serious and lowering his tone as he approached us.

"Now ... first thing first of all ... be honest ... what do I look like?"

"Uh ... different?" Replied the confused blonde.

"Good different or bad different?"

"Just ... different."

"Am I ... ginger?" He asked deadly seriously.

I bit my fist to hold back my stifled laughter. My shoulders were shaking, and I was doing my best not to laugh out loud. The Doctor glanced at me before returning his attention to Rose, waiting for his answer.

"No, you're just brown ..." she said, gesturing.

"Oh, I wanted to be ginger, I was never ginger!" The disappointed man turned away before turning around and speaking to her violently. "And you, Rose Tyler! You were very good - you abandoned me unlike Alvia - oh, it's rude. That's the kind of man I am now, is not it? Rude." He thought. "Rude and not ginger. Hey! That's how you described yourself before Alvia! You, naughty girl!"

I snickered.

"I'm sorry ... who is this?" Harriet Jones asked.

"I am the Doctor," he answered.

"It's the Doctor."

"But what happened to my Doctor? Or is it a title that has just been transferred?"

"I am him." The Doctor answered as he walked towards her. "Literally him. Same man, new face - finally, brand new."

"You can't be," she said, frowning.

"Harriet Jones. We were trapped in Downing Street, and the only thing that scared you wasn't the aliens ... it wasn't the war ... it was the thought that your mother was all alone."

"Oh my God."

He leaned toward her. "Did you win the elections?"

With a smile Harriet Jones answered.

"Majority in landslide."

"I really don't want to be rude or anything," I said, drawing the Doctor's attention. "But we are in a full-on invasion, Doctor."

"Oh yes, that's right!" He recalled. "Excuse me, thank you Alvia."

He turned to the Sycorax leader.

"Hello, big fellas!"

"Who are you exactly?"

"Well, that's the question." He said with a smile.

"I demand to know who you are!" The leader yelled hoarsely.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Imitated the Doctor. "It's the thing. I'm the Doctor, but beyond that I ... I don't know. I don't know who I am. Everything has not been tested yet." He said as he walked, addressing everyone. "Am I funny? Am I sarcastic? Sexy?" He winked at me cheekily and I rolled his eyes with an amused smile on my lips. "Good old misery? Life and soul? Right? Left-handed? Player? To treat? Liar? Nerve wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence I certainly have a gob."

He seemed to notice something.

"And how will I react when I see that?" He said pointing a big red button before heading to it "A very big threatening button. The Doctor continued with a maniacal smile and a small laugh. "A very big threatening button that should not be pressed under any circumstances. I am right? Let me guess, it's a kind of control matrix? Hmm? What feeds it?"

He leaned open a small door to access the controls under the button. He reached out his hand before removing, a bit of red on his finger.

"What do we have here? Some blood?"

He licked his finger. I need to make him a PowerPoint or something of the kind on things he MUST NOT lick.

"Yeah, definitely blood. Human blood. A positive, with just a pinch of iron." He said before moving his tongue like a bad taste and wiping his fingers on his dressing gown. "Ahh ... but that means ... blood control ... blood control!" He said delighted. "Oh! I have not seen a blood test for years! You control all the positive A's! Which leaves us with a big problem. Because ... I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop. So, if I see a big, threatening red button that should never be pressed, then I just want to do this."

And he brutally hit the red button, and everyone screams in horror.

"You killed them!" Accused the translator.

"They'll be fine," I said.

"They're right," confirms the Doctor. "You want to tell us why, big fella?"

"We allow them to live ..."

"Allow? You don't have a choice! I mean, it's blood control. A little cheap voodoo. You scare them but that's it. It's like hypnosis - you can hypnotize someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis, but you can't hypnotize to death. The survival instinct is too strong." He said, returning to our level.

"That's what Alvia told me, that the survival instinct was stronger ..." said Harriet.

"She's brilliant, is not she?" He complimented.

"The mastery of the blood was only a form of conquest. I can call the armada and take this world by force," replied the invading leader.

"Well, you can do it. Of course, you can, and you know what? But why? Watch these humans." He introduced passionately with a wave of his hand. "These human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet and don't blink in the sun. There is more to see than you can ever see. More than - "

"It's the Lion King, Doctor," I cut in.

"Sorry ... but the point is! Leave them alone!"

"Or what?"

"Or… "

He stole a sword from one of the Sycorax that was guarding us and ran to stand in front of the Tardis who was in an empty area before lifting the sword into the air.

"Or I challenge you!"

The leader and his people burst out laughing, I realized, but the laughter of the leader was horrible and irritating to hear.

"Oh, that touched a chord. Am I right in thinking that sanctified battle rules still apply?"

"You are the world champion." The leader said, coming down the stairs and unsheathing his sword.

The Doctor threw off his dressing gown and Rose grabbed it.

"So, you accept my challenge? Or are you just a cranak pel casacree salvak?"

Chief Sycorax whistled angrily at the insult. They knelt down, both standing with their swords.

"For the planet?"

"For the planet." Confirmed the Doctor.

The fight began. The Sycorax sword was massive for the Doctor, and he swung the blade with little grace against that of his enemies. The fight went on outside, the sound of the blades clashing with each other at each meeting. The Doctor ended up fighting outside. The Doctor and the leader shouted, swinging their swords, until the Sycorax made a maneuver that put the Doctor on the ground. The chief of the tribe lowered his sword to the hand of the Doctor who held the sword, cutting his hand and sending it and the saber to the ground. The leader screamed in triumph, screaming the name of his species. Which was a bit ridiculous if you want my opinion.

"You cut off my hand," he said stunned and annoyed.

And the Doctor got up, a determined look in his eyes.

"But now, I know what kind of man I am ... I'm lucky." The Doctor said. "Because by chance ... I'm still in the first fifteen hours of regeneration cycle."

"Which means I just have enough residual cell energy ... to do this ..." he finished with mystery.

He raised his arm and in front of all observing eyes, his hand grew back. Sycorax hissed at witchcraft, but the Doctor countered his words.

"Time Lord."

Rose Tyler threw a new sword to the Lord of Time and he caught it before bragging about his new hand with a strange accent. The Doctor ran to his opponent, swinging his new sword toward him and the Sycorax blocked the attack. The fight resumed, but this time the Doctor was determined to win. His movement was furious and brief, any clumsiness due to the weight of the weapons had disappeared and he seemed at ease with the blade. Then the Doctor hit the belly with the sword's hilt. He started again and the Sycorax leader finally fell to the ground. The Lord of Time pointed his sword against the throat of being on the ground.

"I win."

"So, kill me," he said with difficulty.

"I will spare your life if you take this command: leave this planet and never come back. What do you say?"

"Yes," he said reluctantly.

"Swear on the blood of your kind," growled the Doctor furiously and seriously as he brought the blade a little closer to his neck.

"I swear ..." he cursed laboriously.

"Well, there it is! Thanks for that! Cheers, big fellow!" The Doctor said lightly before pushing his sword into the ground.

"Well done!" Said Harriet Jones.

Rose did the same by going to the Doctor's dressing gown and my ears bled as they heard their accents slaughter the French word. The pronunciation is perfect, but the accent ...

"Very Arthur Dent," he remarked. "A nice man."

He put his hands in his pockets before taking out an apple and a satsuma.

"What is this doing in here?"

"I think it's up to Harold, he must be hungry at night." Said Rose.

"Why would he be hungry at night?"

"I don't know, and I don't want to know!"

"In any case he must like his snacks." He said storing the apple. "But don't satsumas summarize Christmas?"

The two began to return to us, the Doctor happily tossing the fruit up before catching it several times.

"You go through all these gifts but in the end, deep down, there is a stupid, old satsuma. Who wants a satsuma? Alvia?"

But behind us, the leader got up and grabbed his sword, roaring, ready to impale the Doctor; and without even turning the Doctor threw the satsuma to a switch on the side of a ship, which opened the ground under the leader and he fell to the ground screaming pathetically. The Doctor's smile was gone.

"No second chance. I am that kind of man."

I swallowed while looking at him. We went back to the Tardis and the Doctor spoke to the Sycorax people.

"By the ancient fighting rites, I forbid you to return here until the end of time. And when you return to the stars and you tell others about this planet ... when you tell them about its riches - its people - its potential. When you talk about the Earth, make sure to tell them this: It- is - Defended!"

We all - including the Tardis - returned to Earth. We were not far from Jackie's apartment. While Mickey was celebrating the joy of returning to Earth, the Doctor made a gesture while waiting for the engines of the spaceship to start. As soon as the ship took off and returned to space, we allowed ourselves to celebrate, to laugh and to burst with joy. Harriet went to hug me and the Doctor. She commented that the Doctor was absolutely the same man and the Doctor smiled at the compliment.

"Alvia said there were so many more than you were there every time you saved us."

"She's right, it's not just Sycorax. Hundreds, thousands of species. And the human race draws attention to itself. Every day, you send probes, messages and signals. A planet so noisy that you have, and you get noticed ... more and more. You better get used to it."

"20th century is where everything changes and we gotta be ready." I added, quoting Jack in the intro of the Torchwood series.

"Rose!" Shouted Jackie running towards us.

"Mum!"

"Oh! Talking of trouble ...!"

Rose and Mickey joined Jackie. The Doctor told Jackie that what he needed was tea; then Jackie noticed the prime minister. The Doctor reached out and Jackie caught him in a tight embrace, I was pulled by surprise and held in Jackie's arms. We all jumped as a bundle of green light popped up from the ground nearby.

"HARRIET NO!" I screamed in horror.

Four more beams came out to join in an enormous bundle that went into space and struck the spaceship, destroying it in a few seconds.

Tears sprang from my eyes. Despite my warnings she hadn't listened, she had contact with Torchwood. What I thought was all Sycorax, had just died under my helpless eyes. A comforting hand rested in my neck, massaging it slightly. It was the Doctor's hand.

"It was a murder," he says angrily.

"It was defense!" The prime minister said. "Adapted for extraterrestrial technology and came from a ship that fell on Earth ten years ago."

"But they were leaving," I sobbed.

"But you both said it. They go back to the stars and talk about us to others. Sorry, Doctor, but you're not there all the time and we don't have your companion who calls us and warns us all the time. You come and go. My people have been threatened and controlled while you slept. We must defend ourselves."

"The golden age of Britain ..." he said disdainfully.

"It comes with a price."

"I gave them the wrong warning. I should have told them to run as fast as possible. Run and hide because monsters are coming: the human race."

"These are the people I represent. I did it on their behalf."

"You don't represent me ..."

"Yes, I do, my child."

"No, you don't... I'm quite glad to not be from this planet." I said, looking at the Doctor.

"What does that mean about you both? Another alien threat."

The Doctor pulled his hand from my neck and went furiously to Harriet Jones.

"Do not challenge us, Harriet Jones. Because I am a completely new man. I could bring down your government with one word."

"You are the most remarkable man I have ever met, Doctor. But I don't think you can."

"We are right. Not a single word." He looked at her for a moment silently. "Only six. "

"I don't think so."

"Six words."

"Stop that!"

"Six."

They settled for a few more seconds, in a battle of wills.

"Three."

The two turned to me, surprised and confused. That's right, how could I defeat Harriet Jones and her government with three simple words? Well it was simple. I headed for the one with the headset. My path was cut by the agent of unity, who placed himself before me.

"Move, please."

"I don't think so, young girl."

"I said,  **move**."

For an instant, anger blossomed in my chest and I inject that emotion into my order. To my surprise, the Unity Man moved to the side. I walked towards the translator, ignoring the soldiers who had had glassy eyes for a moment. I took off the man's earpiece and slipped it into his suit pocket and I climbed over my ear to whisper.

"She looks tired ..."

I moved back, my face without emotion as I returned to the side of the Doctor who had left Harriet Jones. She panicked at what I had said and asked what I had told her, she interrupted me as I joined the Doctor, Jackie, Rose and Mickey. The Doctor took my hand as we came back to the apartment, we had a cup of tea, explaining to Jackie what had happened on the Sycorax ship. The Doctor - who now wore the outfit of his former incarnation - stood up saying he was going to change and choose a new outfit.

"Well, I'll be able to prepare the meal for tonight. You should rest Sweetheart," said Jackie looking at me. "Looks like you're going to collapse anytime."

"Yeah ... I'll do that. Sleeping seems like a good idea ..." I mumbled while drinking my tea.

"Take advantage of bringing back to the Tardis what you had left," the Doctor informed me. "Better not leave it to everyone's eyes."

"How do you know?"

"He remains in the lead this opening," he remarked with false innocence and humming the song. "Fortunately, it's the only thing I could hear."

I was mortified hearing what he had just revealed to me. I missed the disaster a little ...

"Don't make this head, nothing bad happened, no?"

I nodded and went to find the satchel where my computer was. I came back to the living room and left with the Doctor in the direction of the TARDIS.

"Be careful, next time Alvia. I have nothing against the fact that you remember these episodes - even if part of me is disturbed that you know the future - the human memory is so fleeting and I doubt that with all the adventures that we ended up forgetting certain things that you saw."

"I only saw the series once. I looked at all the seasons in a row and I only saw some episodes because they were my favorites. I know some episodes that I saw once because I have a good memory and I read fanfictions – you don't want to know what it is."

"And I thought, since you've seen some episode ... could you help me choose my new outfit?"

"And ruin all the pleasure? I don't think so. I was serious when I said that sleeping was a good idea."

The Doctor unlocked the Tardis and we entered. Sexy buzzed with pleasure and we both smiled at the lights flashing happily.

"What use is this knowledge to you if you don't help me for my outfit?" The Doctor moaned.

I was at the door of my room and the Doctor was heading for the wardrobe. An idea came to me suddenly.

"Doctor!" I asked him.

He turned to me; eyebrows raised.

"What do you think of my coat? Something similar would be good on you, don't you think?"

A smile grew on his lips as a laugh escaped his chest. I went back to my room, not waiting for an answer. I put my bag in the chair of my office, my coat joined my bag, my shoes were on the ground and I buried myself under the covers to rest.

 

* * *

I woke up I think a few hours later, the Tardis having lit up my lights to wake me up. I moaned as usual every time I woke up and removed the blanket that covered my body. I put on my shoes and wanted to put on my long coat, but it had disappeared from my chair. I sighed with annoyance and I headed for my dressing room to remove a black hoodie that zipped with a zipper and a kind of black coat that reminded me of the one worn by the 12th Doctor.

"I cannot continue to dress like him," I sighed.

But the Tardis answered me as if she didn't agree with me.

"All right, all right," I capitulated with a smile. "But it's out of the question that at one point I'm wearing a piece of celery or a rainbow coat, I have limits," I warned, pointing my fingers up.

Sexy buzzed as if I had said something stupid. I put on the black velvet frock coat that came to my mid-thigh. The inner lining wasn't firecracker red, but Basque red. I cleaned my face before I just had a cream on my face that removed the bruise that had bloomed on my temple and brow bone. The blue-violet stain turned into a sickly yellow and disappeared a few seconds later. I like the medicine of the future. I headed for the main room and I went out. The cold gently bit cheeks and my nose, but I enjoyed this temperature. In addition, this frock coat was really hot! I stood against the door with the instructions until the Doctor came out.

He did it twenty minutes later. He came out dashing, his hair was well-combed, and the brown suit, Janis Joplin's long coat, so familiar, and converses on his feet.

"You changed your coat," he remarked, observing the velvet fabric.

"Two people wearing the same coat would have done it, and then the Tardis hid mine."

I swung forward and started walking towards Jackie's apartment.

"Wait, before I forget!" He walked quickly to me, rummaging in his right pocket before handing me my phone. "It belongs to you."

"My phone ... thank you, Doctor!" I thanked him, taking it and putting it in the back pocket of my pants.

"Don't let the Tylers wait long, I can smell meat!" He said sniffing a little, his nose in the air and his eyes closed.

My belly gurgled at the idea of hot food and I salivated in advance. We went to Jackie's house to see that the table had been set up and that the food was plenty. We chatted, ate, and had fun. It was a good meal; I even could drink alcohol quietly without my glass being removed and its contents thrown away. As I drank my drink quietly, the rest of the table used crackers - something I still don't understand, it's not in the French Christmas tradition - and Rose noticed Harriet Jones on TV. She repeated again and again that she wasn't tired, but it seemed that the journalists didn't take it into account ... I saw the Doctor wearing a pair of glasses on his nose and sniffing with amusement. Jackie, Rose and Mickey joined the Doctor to listen to Harriet Jones. As I watched Rose near her mother, a great sadness settled inside me.

I took the bottle and my glass, and I went as quietly as possible, towards the roof. I settled comfortably on the stone wall and I filled the glass. It was the first time I was celebrating Christmas without my family. For the first time since Rose's paradox, I allowed myself to rethink and cry. Red wine helped me to ignore the cold and numb my mind; so, it took me a few minutes to notice that the snow was falling and a few more minutes to remember that it wasn't snow, but ashes. I protected my glass from any invasion of ashes. Drink yes, but without the ashes, thank you very much.

From where I was, I heard people coming out and marveling at the "snow". In the end, I had nothing to drink - it was already well under way before I took it for myself - and I observed the ashes covered the area slowly but surely and in silence.

"Here you are, that's where you were hiding."

I turned my head slightly to see the Doctor approaching confidently, his hands in his pockets and his hair slightly covered with ashes. His eyes caught the empty bottle and my glass, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"We're really going to have to work on your alcohol problem, Alvia."

"Are we?"

"Yes. It's not healthy, especially at your age," he reprimanded.

"And how old am I," I articulated slowly. "I don't remember my age ..." I sighed in despair.

"You should drink some water and go to rest; you're starting to be a sad alcoholic."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm usual a merry alcoholic ... "

"Usually? Why aren't you now?"

"Because it's the first Christmas I spent without my family." I confessed without preamble.

"Alvia ..."

"Don't say you're sorry, because it's not your fault." I said with a trembling voice.

I wiped a tear that threatened to fall.

"Shit ... I didn't wanted to cry."

"It's okay to cry, Alvia." He reassured me before gently taking me into a hug that I returned a few seconds later.

He rocked me gently back and forth to comfort me, which worked of course. I took advantage of the warmth of his arms and coat. This embrace reminded me of the one I shared with his future self and little by little my mind reminded me of the kiss we exchanged. I shook my head mentally to scare away that image and blamed the alcohol that ran through my veins and enveloped my mind.

I felt a kiss on the top of my head and a yawn escaped my lips. The Doctor's chest shook as he giggled softly.

"Come on, let's get warm. I would not want you to get a cold and you grumbling because you can't live our future adventures."

"That would be so bad," I jeered softly.

We went back to the Tardis, and when we were going to separate the Doctor gently grabbed my wrist.

"I didn't have the opportunity to thank you for taking care of me when I was down ..."

"You don't have to, someone had to do it; especially when Rose was useless." I told him, shrugging my shoulders. "And then you trusted me when I said I was in charge, remember?"

"But I want to do it, it's important to me." He contradicted putting his hands on my shoulders. "Because ... Because I care about you just as much as you care about me."

I don't think he knows how much I care about him.

"Doctor ..."

I was going to say something, but my mind focused on the thing that Sexy made appear over our heads.

"Your Tardis has a strange sense of humor." I said, stepping back a bit and watching a branch of holly and mistletoe intertwined and suspended with gold and silver thread.

The Doctor watched the hanging branch with surprise, and I took the opportunity to grab his tie and lower it slightly. His eyes fell on me, even more surprised, and I put a quick kiss on the corner of his lips.

"Don't imagine anything." I teased, lying for both of us. "I only respect the traditions!"

I pulled back and headed for the hallway. Before entering, I turned one last time, watching the Doctor who hadn't moved at all and who seemed to be still in shock.

"Merry Christmas, Doctor!"

And I fled, all joyful to my room. Missing the Doctor's words with a soft smile on his lips.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Alvia."

 


End file.
